When Ashley came out in April she made the mistake of introducing my mom and I to Tastefully Simple. That was really an evil thing to do. Online food products? How evil-ly delicious.

I secretly like to call them Tastefully Expensive...

So, my pocketbook and I have this love hate relationship with Tastefully Simple. I love some of their products but my pocketbook weeps when it is time to checkout. I figure if I can find a way to re-create a few of their items at home then I can stock up on the ones that I can't and absolutely love. Last time my mom and I placed an order, my mom ordered the Cinnamon Muffin Melts. They were super yummy, but at $5.99 for a mix that makes a dozen muffins that is a bit steep for me.

Ashley googled around a bit and came across this recipe, we decided to try it out and see how it compared.

Cinnamon Muffin Melt Knock Offs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour   

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 large egg

3/4 milk

1/3 cup unsalted butter

For Rolling:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1  teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan. 

2. Mix dry ingredients together, set aside. Beat egg and milk together in small bowl, set aside. Beat softened butter until light and fluffy. 

3. Alternate adding in egg and flour mixtures, mixing after each addition.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cup 2/3 full.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes, turn pan over onto a wire rack removing all muffins then turning them over with tops up. Let them cool enough so they may be handled. 

6. Melt the remaining butter. Mix together sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.

7. Once muffins have cooled dip all sides in melted butter then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on wire rack to finish cooling.

8. May be served warm or cool. Store in an airtight container.

Note: I noticed something along the way with this recipe, in the original recipe it says the tops should turn golden brown when done. After 22 minutes at 350 degrees mine were as pale on top as when they went in but the sides were browning and the toothpicks were clean. Could it have been my oven? Quite possibly, yes. My suggestion would be not to trust the color of the muffins as a sign of doneness, the color in the pics is simply the cinnamon sugar mixture.

How did these stack up against the real TS Cinnamon Muffin Melts? Let's just say that I will not be buying the boxed mix anymore, this recipe is wonderful. I would rather spend my Tim's hard earned money on the Sweet Pepper Jalapeno Jam instead...