Maple Cinnamon Brown Butter Puffs

I devised these puffalicious little treats last Friday, as I was searching for a baked donut recipe to celebrate National Donut Day. I wanted a healthier version of something like this. These puffs almost have the consistency of a pancake (picture a baked raised donut...like that) with distinct cinnamon and brown butter flavours. If maple isn't your preference, you could easily sub in an equal amount of any liquid sweetener. 

These puffs are best enjoyed warm from the oven (aren't all baked goods for that matter?) but they'll last a few hours at room temperature. Bake up a batch for your next brunch or as an afternoon snack. They come together in a snap, and you can eat two (ok, five) without guilt.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (I used white whole wheat, because I'm literally no fun)
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg (lightly beaten)
3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (use 2% or higher if it's what you have on hand)
1 tbsp oil (not olive, but any other works)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
1 tbsp cinnamon
6 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*

Grease mini muffin tins (24)

In a small bowl or ramekin, combine the cinnamon and the sugar. Stir well and set aside.

Put the butter in a small saucepan and set it aside as well.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl until well combined.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Fold gently until just combined. Do not over mix.  

Fill each mini muffin cup 3/4 full. Be sure not to over fill them, or they won't puff up as nicely.

Bake for 12 minutes.

For the brown butter:

While the puffs are baking, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the butter continuously as it melts. It will begin to foam, then the milk solids will begin to turn brown. Remove the butter from the heat as soon as it turns a golden brown and pour it into a ramekin. Brown butter quickly turns to black butter (i.e. burnt) and we don't want that! For more detailed brown butter instructions, click here.

When the puffs have finished baking, they will be golden and well-domed. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. When cool to the touch, take a puff and dip it into the brown butter. Let any excess butter drip off, and then roll the top into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with the remaining.

Yields 24 puffs

Hope you enjoy!