Buttermilk Spice Muffins

These great muffins are quite possibly my kids' favorite breakfast treat, and we make them often, especially during the colder months. Topped with sugar and spice, their tender crumb is not unlike a moist and wonderful cupcake, but the secret addition walnuts in the topping and whole wheat flour in the muffin adds some extra nutritional value too.

Ingredients

Topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin tin (or line with paper cups). In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until well mixed.
2. In another bowl, whisk together flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Then mix in the buttermilk. Add the final amount of the flour mixture, beating just until combined. The batter may still be a bit lumpy. Prepare sugar nut topping.
3. In a small food processor or blender, whiz together the topping ingredients. Pulse until nuts are very finely ground and ingredients are well-blended.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the top with a rounded tablespoon of the sugar nut topping. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, and then carefully lift out to a cooling rack.