From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Cinnamon Mocha Muffins and Hamilton Beach Giveaway!

Although Brandy is a notoriously prolific tea drinker, she does enjoy a good hot cup of coffee as well.  "Tea is life, but coffee is a life enhancer," as she likes to put it.  So when Hamilton Beach asked Brandy to give their latest innovation in coffee preparation a go, she stocked up on flavored creamers and prepared for a massive dose of caffine.

The FlexBrew 2 Way Coffee Maker was surprisingly light weight, making it easy to move from the kitchen to the breakfast nook and back, depending on Brandy's mood.  The side that made the full pot of coffee utilized a wire mesh reusable filter, which made the brewing process as simple as pressing a button.  The single cup side accepted both K-Cups and fresh grounds (with the use of the proper attachment) and took a few more steps in order to properly brew a cup of joe.  This side required a little more concentration, as one could easily over fill the water tank, forget to switch the function on the machine, or neglect to press down the bar that activated the single cup brew, but Brandy very much liked the adjustable stand that allowed one to use anything from a standard coffee mug to a tall travel cup.

Both sides also functioned very well for preparing hot water, should one want to make some tea in a hurry.  Brandy very much appreciated that the machine was programmable, so that if she so wished, she could wake up to a fresh brewed pot of coffee every morning.

Brandy had so much fun playing with her new toy that she soon found herself with a massive amount of freshly brewed coffee about the house.  "Well, might as well put some of this to good use!" she proclaimed.  Thinking of coffee cake (and how she had always been perplexed by the fact that coffee cake was not coffee flavored) Brandy came up with this recipe for some delicious, caffeinated muffins made with fresh brewed coffee to keep them perfectly moist.

Also, especially for her loyal fans, Brandy is giving away a Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-way Coffee Maker!  Check the widget below the recipe for full details on how to enter.  This giveaway will run until April 29th.  But don't worry if you don't win, because you can get your own Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-Way Coffee Maker at retailers like Walmart for only $89.

Cinnamon Mocha Muffins

For the topping:

1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1/2 cup of white sugar
1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 cup of flour
1/3 cup melted butter

For the Muffins:
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon of instant coffee granules (optional if you want to intensify the coffee flavor)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of freshly brewed coffee
1/4 cup of softened butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 large egg

For the crumb topping: combine the brown sugar, white sugar, coffee granules, salt, cinnamon, and flour in a medium bowl, stir to combine, and then add the melted butter.  Continue to stir until the mixture takes on an even sandy texture, then spread on a cookie sheet and let dry while you prepare the muffins.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In one bowl, combine the flour, coffee granules, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.  In a second bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, then add in the egg and vanilla.  When everything is combined into a smooth mixture, add in the coffee and milk and mix again.  Carefully fold the dry mixture into the liquid mixture, whisking away any lumps as you go and scraping down the sides of the bowl until the batter is smooth and even.

Spray the cups of a muffin tin with cooking spray (skip this step if using muffin papers).  Divide the batter into the twelve cups of the muffin tin.  Sprinkle a generous amount of the topping mix onto each muffin, making sure to break up any large clumps as you go, otherwise they will sink to the bottom of the batter as the muffins bake.  Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Let cool and serve.

The writers of this blog were provided with an appliance by Hamilton Beach in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

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