Pina Colada Muffins

All the tropical flavors of a pina colada packed into a quick muffin and finished with a sweet rum glaze.

Buttermilk baking mix handles the flour, leavening, and salt in one scoop, so the batter comes together fast. Crushed pineapple and shredded coconut go right in, along with orange juice as the liquid. That OJ adds citrus sweetness that ties the pineapple and coconut together better than plain milk would.

Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Lumpy batter is what you want. Overmixed muffin batter bakes up tough with pointed tops instead of soft, rounded domes. Grease only the bottoms of the muffin cups so the batter grips the sides and rises taller.

The rum glaze goes on while the muffins are still warm. Powdered sugar, rum extract, and a couple teaspoons of milk stirred together into a thin, drizzly icing that soaks into the tops.

Kitchen Tips

• Drain the crushed pineapple well. Squeeze it in a strainer to remove excess juice, or the muffins will be soggy in the center.
• Remove muffins from the pan immediately after baking. They’ll steam and get gummy if left sitting in the cups.
• Add the milk to the glaze one teaspoon at a time. You want it pourable but not runny.

Variations

• Use real dark rum instead of rum extract in the glaze for a stronger, more authentic flavor.
• Fold in a handful of white chocolate chips with the coconut.
• Toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet before adding to the batter for a nuttier, deeper coconut flavor.