Glazed Doughnut Muffins

A few weeks ago a Dunkin Donuts opened up not too far from where the hubs and I live.  Every time I pass it I have to muster up every bit of self control I have not to pull through the drive-thru and order up a mixed dozen.  Red velvet?  Yes please.  Chocolate Frosted?  Yes again.  Plain glazed?  You bet.  I'm pretty sure I've never met a doughnut I didn't immediately make friends with.

But what about doughnut muffins?  I came across the recipe for these on one of my favorite blogs, Sweet Pea's Kitchen.  I've tried several other recipes from Christina and have always been blown away, so I figured I'd give this one a go.  I wasn't exactly sure how it would be possible for a muffin to taste like a doughnut, but I took a leap of faith based on all the rave reviews I read.

I was making these muffins for my Sunday School class, so I made them the night before to be on the safe side.  That way if they were a flop I would still have a few hours to throw something else together the next morning.  What can I say, I'm a bit of a worry wart and would always rather be safe than sorry!

These muffins turned out tasking much more like doughnuts than I had anticipated.  I loved the subtle brown sugar and cinnamon flavor they had and was pleasantly surprised that the glaze that topped them didn't make them so sickeningly sweet that they seemed like a rich dessert.

I was a little perplexed as to why my glaze never set up like the one's in Christina's photos (mine was more clear and never took on that hard/white appearance even after it had dried), but it was delicious nevertheless.

These muffins would be a great unexpected addition to any breakfast or brunch, and they are especially a new favorite of mine since they can be prepared beforehand.   Dare I say these muffins might be able to give Dunkin Donuts a run for their money?  I'll let you be the judge :)

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins with Oat Streusel Crumb Topping

My husband's family has several blueberry bushes in their backyard and while we were over there this past weekend I was able to pick some of the ripe ones that had finally turned a deep blueish purple.  Most blueberries don't come in until July so I was thrilled to be able to get my hands on these little guys.

I had already made blueberry banana waffles earlier in the week, so I was a bit hesitant to do yet another breakfast dish with these same berries.  But then I came across a recipe for blueberry muffins from my favorite cookbook from Foster's Market.  I didn't eat a blueberry muffin when Trey and I stopped by Foster's during our trip to Durham back in March, but I absolutely loved everything we tried, so I knew this recipe had to be good!

And good it was.  This recipe calls for the blueberries to be chopped instead of added whole.  I LOVED this because it made the blueberry flavor so much more prevalent and kept the muffins decidedly more moist.  The streusel crumb topping wasn't originally called for by Foster's though....are you surprised it was my idea to add even more butter and sugar??? :)