Cinnamon Muffins

Henry James, the famous American author who became a British citizen in the final years of his life, had once famously said, “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”

It is interesting to note that the most quintessential of British customs – afternoon tea – was first introduced by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford in 1840. Traditionally, afternoon tea consisted of a pot of tea accompanied by dainty sandwiches and scones, cakes or muffins along with preserves. To add some aroma to your afternoon tea, add a dash of cinnamon to your muffins for a hot and aromatic cuppa.

Ingredients

For the dough

1. Flour – 2 cups
2. Granulated sugar – 1 & ½ cups
3. Baking powder – 2 tsp
4. Cinnamon powder – 1 tsp
5. Milk – 1 & ¼ cups
6. Egg – 1
7. Molten butter – 2 tbsp
8. Vanilla essence – 1 tbsp

For the topping

1. Molten butter – 4 tbsp
2. Granulated sugar – ¾ cup
3. Cinnamon powder – 1 tsp

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon powder.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, egg, vanilla essence and molten butter together.
4. Fold in the flour mixture and stir. This mixture will be slightly runny.
5. Prepare the muffin cups by lining them with a little oil.
6. Pour the muffin batter into the muffin cups.
7. Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes.
8. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to rest for about five minutes.
9. Meanwhile, prepare the topping by mixing the molten butter, sugar and cinnamon powder in a small bowl.
10. Once the muffins have cooled, dip the top of each muffin in the topping.

Serve the muffins with a hot pot of Darjeeling tea and some thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches. These will sure make for an enjoyable afternoon tea session. We’d love to hear about your aromatic experience after you’ve tried your hand at baking cinnamon muffins. Do share your feedback in the comments section below.