Thanks for stopping by to open another “door” of the Virtual Advent Tour. Only three weeks until Christmas!

Today you get another post from me, and I thought I’d share a recipe that seems like it would be a good fit for making at this time of the year. It’s fast, requires only items that I think a lot of folks would already have in their kitchen, and is flavored with both cinnamon and nutmeg, spices that encompass all the good things I associate with fall and winter holidays. Way back when, I used to play host to a lot of friends on the weekends and used to try to come up with interesting things to serve them for brunch if we weren’t planning to head to the local diner, and this was a favorite. It comes from my favorite cookbook, Marion Cunningham’s The Breakfast Book (a chatty collection of morning meal recipes that would make a fantastic present for someone who loves to cook):

1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar (less if desired)
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup milk

Topping
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Grease muffin tins.

For the puffs: Beat shortening, sugar, and egg in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add to the first mixture. Pour in the milk and beat until blended and smooth.

Fill the muffin tins about two-thirds full. Bake about 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.

For the topping (Have this ready to go when the puffs come out of the oven): Mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl.

Place the melted butter in a bowl just big enough to hold one puff (an ice cream bowl, maybe?).

As soon as the puffs are done, remove them from the pan. Dip them one by one into the melted butter and then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar.

Delightful when served warm with a cup of tea or coffee, but also tasty when cool.

That’s it from me. I hope to see you back here tomorrow, where we’ll be heading back to Letters from a Hill Farm. (Nan’s post will go live later in the day, so maybe check in after work tomorrow, rather than before.)