Apple Muffins

           
              Fall is in the air.  The nights are cooler, the sun isn't as high in the sky as it was, and it is getting dark sooner.  The supermarkets are starting to put out the cinnamon scented pine cones that just totally make me feel like it is apple picking season.

               I saw a recipe from King Arthur Flour for Pumpkin Cake Donuts, and I thought "what a great idea".  It sounded like a very fall dish.  Yes, it is still summer, and it got pretty hot today, but I felt like making a fall type recipe.

               Now, I didn't make the pumpkin donuts.  I don't like pumpkin, and I don't have the really cool donut baking pan they sell.  I automatically thought of making something with apples.  Apples are usually what I think of when I think of fall.  Since I couldn't make those cool looking donuts, I decided a muffin would be satisfying.  I am plotting on the donut pan though.



               I had a large bag of apples that I knew I could use.   So, after school was done, I concocted what was reviewed as a very tasty muffin.

First I had to make a chunky apple style sauce.

Ingredients for the apple sauce

1. 4 apples, (I used Gala apples because those were what I had on hand.), cored, and sliced.
2. 1 nectarine (un-pitted and sliced)
3. 2 Tbl butter
4. 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
5. 1/4 tsp allspice
6. 1/4 Cup brown sugar
7. 2 tsp maple syrup

Melt the butter in a pot on medium low heat.  Then add all the other ingredients.  Cook until the apples have softened.  (About 10 minutes)

Put the cooked fruit in a food processor and puree to your liking.  You can taste the apple sauce now, and if needed adjust the seasonings.

For the batter the ingredients are

1. 7 Tbl softened butter
2. 1 1/2 Cup sugar
3. 3 eggs
4. 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
5. 1 tsp salt
6. 1 3/4 Cup all purpose flour

First whip the butter with the sugar.  Then add the eggs, baking powder, apple sauce, and salt.  Mix these ingredients together.

Finally gently stir in the flour until the batter is well mixed.

I used mini muffin pans.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F.

Fill your muffin pans 3/4 of the way full with the batter.

Place in your oven for 15 minutes, rotating the pan half way through cooking.

All ovens are different so keep watch on the muffins.  Use a cake tester to check they are cooked through.

These can be frozen of course.  To defrost, just take them out of the freezer a few hours before you want to eat them placing them in a plastic bag or a storage container.  The microwave also works.  For mini muffins, two at one time defrosted nicely for 15 seconds on high power.
This recipe makes 47 mini muffins.