I love the smell of cinnamon. When you smell cinnamon in the air, you just know that you are in for a real treat, don't you? Nothing signals lovin' from the oven more than the smell of cinnamon!
These cinnamon roll muffins are a real favorite in this house! You get all of the flavours of your favorite cinnamon rolls, but without any of the faffing about of making full blown cinnamon rolls.
Not that I am lazy, but sometimes the heart wants what it wants and it doesn't want to have to wait half the day to get it!
They are quick and simple to make. A delicious cinnamon/brown sugar/nut mixture is swirled through a simple muffin batter and then sprinkled on top prior to baking.
You don't really need to worry about them sticking to the pan if you butter/grease the pan really well and you use a good non-stick pan. The finished muffins should pop right out. They are finished off with a delicious cream cheese glaze. 
You really can't go wrong with these. I took half of them over to our friend Doreen and she was well made up! I have never frozen them, but I think that if you froze them without the glaze (adding it after you thaw when you go to serve them) that freezing them would be totally okay.
*Cinnamon Roll Muffins*Makes 12Printable Recipe
I have one word for these. WOW. Trust me.
Filling and Topping:145g soft light brown sugar (1 cup loose, not packed)1 TBS ground cinnamon180g chopped toasted pecans (1 1/2 cups)3 TBS Melted butter
For the Muffin Batter:280g plain flour3 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt45g sugar (1/4 cup)3 TBS butter, melted and slightly cooled1 large free range egg225ml whole milk1 tsp vanilla
For the Glaze:130g icing sugar (1 cup), siftedfew drops vanilla60g cream cheese (2 ounces)1 TBS milk
Make the filling combining the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Blend together with your fingers, breaking down any lumps. Stir in the pecans and butter. Combine well and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a non-stick muffin tin really, really well. Set aside.
For the muffins, measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk together to combine. Stir together the wet ingredients. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir together just to combine. Gently fold in half of the cinnamon mixture. Divide this mixture between the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full. Top each with a portion of the remaining cinnamon mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until well risen and the tops spring back when lightly touched. A toothpick inserted in the center will also come out clean. Cool slightly and then whisk together all of the glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over the tops of the muffins decoratively.
Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. If any are stuck (and if you have buttered properly, they won't) then you can gently release by running a round bladed knife around the edges.
Just look at all of that lovely cinnamon mixture swirled throughout those delectable muffins. If you only bake one thing this weekend, let it be these. Your family will be over-joyed! Bon Appetit!
