Step 1

Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles (or the microwave), then remove from heat. Mix in butter; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; whisk together. Add water, egg and the (cooled) milk mixture; beat well with an electric mixer. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, using a wooden spoon to stir well after each addition. (dough will be too thick and sticky to use the mixers at this point.)

Step 3

When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. (dough will spring back when lightly pressed.)

Step 4

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let proof for 45-60 minutes in a warm place- until doubled in size.

Step 5

Grease or spray 12 muffin tins- set aside. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Step 6

When dough has proofed, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and use your hands to spread it out into a large rectangle. Use a pizza cutter or bench scraper to cut the dough into 1-inch squares.

Step 7

Form each little square into a ball-like shape by pinching the four corners under tightly. Dunk each one in the butter and then roll it in the cinnamon-sugar. (If you don't have a helper for this step- I found that using one hand for the butter and one for the dry mixture helped keep them separate.)

Step 8

Fill each muffin well with about 6 dough balls- pressing them together slightly as you go. Cover prepared muffin tins with a clean dish towel and for a little more proofing- 20-30 minutes.

Step 9

Preheat oven to 375F. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffy and golden. Cool on a wire rack until ready to glaze.

Step 10

In a small bowl whisk the glaze ingredients together, starting with 1 tablespoon of milk and adding more as needed for your desired glaze consistency. Drizzle over the warm muffins and enjoy!!