Coffee Cake Muffins

-JUDI M. PHELPS 1/2 c Pecans -- finely chopped

1/3 c Light brown sugar -- firmly

-packed 1 1/2 c Plus 1 tabl. flour

1 t Cinnamon

1/8 ts Nutmeg

1 tb Butter or margarine -- melted

1/3 c Sugar

2 ts Baking powder

1/2 ts Salt

1/4 c Vegetable shortening

1/2 c Milk

1 Egg

12 Pecan halves -- optional

Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Grease 12 muffin pan cups; set aside. In a small bowl; mix together pecans, brown sugar, 1 T flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening. In a small bowl, blend egg with milk. Add to dry ingredients with half of the pecan mixture, stirring until just blended. Spoon batter into muffin cups; sprinkle with remaining pecan mixture. Garnish each muffin with a pecan half. Bake 15 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan to cool on wire rack. Mixing muffin ingredients requires a special, but easy-to-learn technique. The liquid ingredients (milk, eggs, etc.) are beaten together and then added all at once to the dry ingredients. Mixing is kept to a minimum--just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. The batter should be lumpy, not smooth. These muffins freeze very well. Source: Woman`s World Magazine. Shared and MM by Judi M. Phelps. [email protected] or [email protected]