Snowflakes and jack-o’-lanterns. Growing up in Colorado, the two went hand in hand. The first snowfall of the season usually rolled over the mountains to coat my neighborhood just in time for October 31st. Deciding on a costume was a matter of what looked good over a poofy jacket and paired with my purple and white striped moon boots.

Dad was always in charge of trick-or-treating duty. We took the same winding path through our neighborhood each year. And I judged how long we should keep going by the weight of my candy-filled pillowcase. Once I got home, I’d dump out my candy and sort it into piles—chocolate, non-chocolate, favorites, and giveaways (Blow-Pops, Mike and Ikes, and Dum-Dums usually ended up in this category). Then I’d trade candy with my sisters negotiating for the prized items like full-sized Reese Peanut Butter Cups and Almond Joy bars.

Today there’s no negotiating—mommy institutes a Halloween candy tax.

This recipe captures all the flavors of fall, with some Halloween sweetness mixed in. These muffins taste almost like donuts but without the oily after taste from frying. Plus, they absolutely beg for your kids to get involved with rolling the muffins in toppings. The just-baked muffins take a dip into vanilla-spiked butter before diving into cinnamon and sugar. You can also cut out the butter and roll them in powdered sugar, too.

Recipe for Donut Muffins

Ingredients

1 ½ cups plus 2 tbsp. flour

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. nutmeg

½ cup milk

1 egg

1/3 cup butter, melted

Topping

1/3 cup butter, melted

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. vanilla extract (or maple or almond)

Powdered sugar

Directions

1.     Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (Fahrenheit).

2.     Grease and flour a mini muffin tin.

3.     Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a small bowl.

4.     In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and butter. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix well.

5.     Fill muffin cups ½ full with batter and bake for 12-15 minutes until just golden on top.

6.     As soon as the muffins are out of the oven remove from the pan.

7.     Mix the cinnamon and sugar together; add the vanilla into the melted butter.

8.     Now it’s your choice—or your kids! Dip the muffins into the butter and then into the cinnamon and sugar combo. Or, roll them in the powdered sugar (but no butter).

Adapted from “French Breakfast Muffins,” Colorado Cache Cookbook.