Joanne Chang's chocolate cupcakes with Crispy Magic Frosting from the
Flour Cookbook get my vote. They are very moist and chocolatey and the frosting is not overly sweet. I'd be happy to post the recipe if you'd like them
However, my favorite minis of all time are these:
EXPORTED FROM LIVING COOKBOOK
DOUGHNUT MUFFINS***** Servings: 20 Yield: 60 mini muffins,12 large
These are excellent. Easy to make and they keep well. The cinnamon filling was unnecessary, but would be good with other fillings and no topping.
Make the batter the night before. It will keep, covered and chilled, for up to three days in the refrigerator. Better as mini-muffins. This is the halved version. Original called for whole milk, cream and 1% subbed in this recipe.
Oven Temperature: 350°F
Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 1 hour
FOR THE MUFFINS:
6 oz unsalted butter (12 TBS.) warmed to room temperature
3/4 cup sugar (14 TBS)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. Fiori di Sicilia
13½ oz all-purpose flour (3 cups)
2½ tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
7/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
11 TBS. 1% milk
2½ tsps. heavy cream
2 TBS. buttermilk
OPTIONAL FILLING;
3 TBS. Splenda
1 TBS. flour
1 TBS. melted butter
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. water
FOR DIPPING:
1/4 lb unsalted butter (8 TBS.)
1 cup Splenda
1 TBS. ground cinnamon
MAKE THE MUFFINS:
Put a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Grease mini muffins tins, you'll need 5, or a standard-size muffin tin or line with paper liners.
In a stand mixer or a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Add vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Combine the milk and buttermilk. With a wooden spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't overmix.
Use a small disher (#70) and fill mini muffin cups full. Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about ½ cup, #16 disher, for the regular muffins. Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 30 (minis) to 35 minutes.
OPTIONAL FILLING:
Put half the batter in the pan, add some filling and top with remaining batter. Use about ¼ tsp. for mini muffins.
FINISH:
Melt the butter, then combine with the sugar and cinnamon. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them into the mixture. They can also be brushed all over with the melted butter, and then rolled in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Recipe Type: ALINA'S ADAPTATION, Breakfast and Brunch Foods, Desserts, Fine Cooking, Make-Ahead, Muffins
Source: Fine Cooking 2/2010, 42 pages 54-55
Web Page:
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/dough...ffins.aspx