Pecan Cinnamon Muffins 

I really really love a good muffin for breakfast.  Mostly because it's just a simple breakfast. This one has pecans and swirls of cinnamon sugar in it.  It is not a very sweet muffin, which makes for a balanced breakfast. 

Ingredients: 

• 2.5 cups AP flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 cup buttermilk

Sugar topping 

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 425. Line your muffin pan. 
• In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk. 
• In a mixer bowl, add butter and brown sugar and mix on medium speed until fluffy- about 3 minutes. 
• Add eggs and vanilla, beat well after each addition. 
• Add flour and buttermilk, alternate the two.  Begin and end with flour. 
• Spoon the batter into muffin cups, halfway. 
• Put about 1-2 tsp of sugar topping, and then fill the muffin cups the rest of the way with batter, adding sugar topping on top. (Tip: I use "regular" size muffin tins when I make this. I usually add 1 tsp of the sugar topping in the middle because I don't want a really sweet muffin for breakfast. However, 2 tsp will yield a really delicious muffin as well, just a little sweeter) 
• Swirl the mixtures together with a pick and sprinkle the sugar topping on top 
• Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce oven temp to 350.  Cook for another 18-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.