It's 'da Bomb

Every summer, our family stays at my husband's sister's waterfront home in Cape Cod. For some of the time we have the place to ourselves, but the real party starts when they arrive--this time, not only will each family bring their three kids, but there will also be two dogs added into the mix. It really is the most fun we have all year, all cozy together in that old rambling cottage. I think that my sister-in-law would agree that our children, for the most part, spend their summers slathered in muck from the tidal river, bug spray, sunscreen (when we remember), and butter--or at least it seems that way. Every year the 10 of us (12 if you count my husband's parents who live just down the street), manage to consume shameful quantities of butter. Pounds and pounds of it, in fact. We can blame, in part, the fresh clams that we dig out of our backyard (shhh), or the occasional lobster fest. But mostly it is due to our baking...we bake loads of goodies that are practically inhaled the moment the are removed from the oven. I worry about when the kids are older and really hungry...right now there are FIVE boys (11, 9, 9, 7, 4) and my poor daughter (7) who must put up with it all. But the teenage years are fast approaching, and I'm not sure how we will manage to keep up with their appetites.

One of our favorite things to bake are these muffins called Dirt Bombs. They come from the Cottage Street Bakery in Orleans, but I found the recipe in this great book. It is hard to describe actually how delicious these muffins are. And really, when I think about it, it's pretty insulting to call them a muffin when they are much, much more. They puff up like so many hot air balloons in the pan, and inside they have the texture of the best cake doughnut I have ever tasted. Painfully rich, these delights are decidedly not a diet food. The fact that they are dipped in butter and cinnamon-sugar after they come out of the oven, brings them right over the top. A bite is ecstasy-I'm not exaggerating-and eating one is more than plenty...unless you are an eleven-year-old boy.

Cottage Street Bakery Dirt Bombs

adapted from The Cape Cod Table

Muffins:

1 1/2 sticks of softened butter

1 C sugar

2 eggs

1 C whole milk

3 C flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 t nutmeg

1/4 t cardamom

Cinnamon sugar mixture:

1/2 C sugar

1 1/2 t cinnamon

Dip into:

1/2 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a regular sized muffin tin. Beat together (a hand mixer is fine) the butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour through cardamom. Pour half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix gently. Add milk, then remaining flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Spoon into prepared muffin tins and bake for about 15 minutes, or until muffins are cooked throughout.

Remove from oven and take muffins out of tin. Dip muffin tops in remaining melted butter and roll in a bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mixture until they are fully coated.