Recipe: OMG Donut Muffins with SCIENCE!

Guys, these are really, really good. But I have plans to make them better. They reminded me of.... dare I invoke the name.... cider donuts. Cider donuts that were missing the cider. SO -- next time, I'm going to use cider instead of milk and possibly add in apple chunks or bits or slices. What do you think?

But in the meantime - these are mighty tasty. And I learned a thing or two while making them to boot! Here's the educational part of your post:

First, I forgot to add in the xanthan gum. I remembered as I was pouring the batter into the first muffin tin. I had been wondering to myself why it was so thin and runny. Once I remembered I stirred it in and all was well. So one was baked without and all the others were with.

Hey shorty

It did not rise nearly as high as all the others. It's the runt of the muffin litter. Just interesting to see. 

The batter filled up my pan with a little leftover, enough for two more muffins. So I baked the first round and then had to stop and feed/change Julia. About a half hour went by before I could bake the second batch. I noticed the batter immediately -- it was markedly thicker than when I had left it. I mean it was almost like pudding. I was intrigued and baked the remaining two. Brace yourselves because this is shocking -- they rose HIGHER than the other muffins and even looked like completely different muffins!

What?

I don't know what happened. The texture was more delicate and cake-like than the others too (I had to eat one of each. For science.). So next time I bake, I'm letting that batter sit for a half hour. I've got to see if that happens again. Check these out when compared to the other muffins:

They don't even look like they came from the same recipe! I'm just stunned. And here they are looking lovely with the cinnamon sugar topping:

Adapted from/Inspired by King Arthur Flour Donut Muffins
Recipe: OMG Donut Muffins

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup millet flour
3 teaspoons ground flax

1 1/4 teaspoons nutmeg (you can tone this down if you're not that into nutmeg)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 cup applesauce
2 eggs OR egg replacer
3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup milk of your choice

For the top:
2 tablespoons butter of your choice (I like Earth Balance dairy/soy/coconut free)
2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Oven to 425.

Mix up the dry (sorghum through xanthan) in a big bowl and the wet (applesauce - vanilla) in a small bowl. Add half the wet to the dry with half the milk and mix a bit; then add the remaining wet + milk  and dry. Mix thoroughly. 

Pour into muffin tin and bake 15-18 mins. Meanwhile, melt the butter in the microwave in a shallow bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another shallow bow. 

When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, dunk the tops first in the butter and then in the cinnamon sugar. Oh yeah. 

Nice texture, eh?