Cinnamon Chip Muffins

Snickerdoodle in a Muffin

Tangy and loaded with cinnamon,  these muffins are a cross between a snickerdoodle and a coffee cake.  I used cream of tartar which gives snickerdoodle cookies their characteristic tang while providing leavening when it interacts with baking soda.  And I used sour cream which is traditional in coffee cake. If you want your muffins to be even more like coffee cake then you could add 1-2 t. vanilla.

 

Cinnamon chips are now readily available in the baking aisle where chocolate chips are sold.  Paper liners are necessary to keep the cinnamon chips from sticking to the pan.  

---Barbara

Cinnamon Chip Muffins

Makes 24 medium muffins

1 c. butter, softened, room temperature

1 c. sugar

2 extra large eggs, room temperature

1 t. heaping, cinnamon

1.5 t. baking soda

1 t. cream of tartar

1 - 1 1/4 c. sour cream

2 c. flour

1 c. cinnamon chips

Topping:

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. cinnamon

Be sure that the butter is very soft and eggs are at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line 24 muffin tins with paper cups.  

Using the paddle attachment in a stand mixer, beat together the soft butter and eggs until lemony yellow and very smooth, about 3 minutes.  Add one egg at a time, beating for a minute, after each addition, and scraping down the sides. Add the sour cream.  The mixture should be very light yellow and fluffy.  

In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients:  flour, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and cinnamon chips.  Mix well.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, add the dry ingredients, and using a large spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  It will be a stiff thick batter, but keep folding until everything is incorporated and homogenous.  (Alternatively, you could do this step with the stand mixer, but go slowly and do not overmix.)

The mixture will look more like cookie dough than batter.

Divide evenly among 24 muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full, to leave room for the topping.

Combine the sugar with the cinnamon to make the topping.  Spoon topping on each muffin, coating them well.  Use more than you think.  This creates texture and sweetness needed to balance the softness and tanginess of the muffin.  

Bake for 18 minutes, until a toothpick or a tester comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes.  Not longer or they will steam and collapse in the center.  

Turn out onto a rack, and cool.  

Freezes well. 

B