This has been a Whiting family specialty for years. I've heard tell that when Dorinda needed a favor from her older brother, she'd clinch the deal by making French Breakfast Puffs for his breakfast! From my own experience, my kids will forego sleeping in late on weekends when these are on the breakfast menu.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 c four
1 1/2 baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 c soft shortening
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1 stick butter
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350°, and grease 12-15 medium muffin cups.
Sift the four, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
Mix the shortening, 1/2 c sugar and the egg thoroughly.
Stir in dry ingredients alternately with the milk.
Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full.
Bake 20-25 minutes.
While they're baking, melt the butter and mix the sugar and cinnamon.
When the breakfast puffs are done, roll immediately in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon sugar.
Serve hot.
To simplify the final steps, I melt the butter in a wide double boiler so I can keep the butter warm. If you have help in the kitchen, it's helpful to use an assembly line approach... one person removing the muffins from the pan and rolling them in butter, a second person rolling them in the cinnamon sugar and putting them in the serving platter or bowl.