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ACTON -- It's one of the toughest decisions of the day -- dark or light, doughnut or muffin?

For most harried commuters, grabbing breakfast on the fly is a mundane reflex. Not at Sweet Bites.

The year-old bakery in this pleasing village wows customers with the sugary, buttery burst of the cider doughnut muffin -- a cute and tasty morsel that flies out the door in waves during the morning rush.

A muffin in appearance, a doughnut in taste, this treat lives up to the same of the shop. "It's second only to the morning glory muffin," said baker/owner Caitlin Adler, who opened the bakery cafe with

her husband to share her baked goods with this quaint neighborhood.

The cider doughnut muffin is loved by kids, their mothers and 9-to-5ers who down them giddily.

"It goes great with a cup of coffee," said Adler.

The bakery case in this brown, orange and teal cafe is stuffed with such tasty morsels, it's hard to decide which to take home. But the crumbly, comforting, coffee cake-like consistency of this muffing usually wins out.

Adler, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, learned the breakfast novelty while working at the Ocean Edge Resort on Cape Cod. She loves their appearance and the ease with which they come together.

"On the weekends, we will sell like 40 a day," she said. "It's basic, but good."

Using fresh and secretive ingredients is the key. Adler would not part with her muffin recipe but to say it includes creamed butter, sugar, eggs, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and milk.

Once the muffins come out of the oven and cool down, she dips them in melted butter, sugar and cinnamon. Think of the muffin as a blank canvas and be creative.

Waking up late and groggy doesn't have to be depressing if you have a cider doughnut muffin waiting for you.

Step 1. Take a fresh-baked, standard muffin and dunk in a bowl of melted butter.

Step 2. Toss in a bowl of sugar and cinnamon until fully coated.

Step 3. Serve with coffee and enjoy!

Sweet Bites Bakery, 5 Spruce St., Acton, (978) 263-2233.