apple spice muffins

Why is everything exponentially cuter when small?  Kittens, turtles, children’s socks, mandarins, are all cute for one simple reason: they’re small.  Well, in an effort to cutesy things up around here, feast your eyes and hopefully taste buds on these cute little mini-muffins.  Despite their cute shape, these Apple Spice Muffins pack a punch of flavor with their cinnamon, nutmeg goodness.  I made these with some of the applesauce we canned last year (keep your eyes peeled, as this Saturday is Applesauce Canning Day again), so the apple pieces were a little extra chunky.  Soooo good.

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup pecans or walnuts (3 1/2 ounces), coarsely chopped

Topping

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Grease muffin pan.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl until combined well, then add butter, a little at a time, whisking until mixture is creamy. Stir in applesauce, then fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened. Stir in nuts and divide batter among muffin cups.

Make topping and bake:
Stir together all topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of muffins. Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then remove muffins from pan and cool slightly.

(From Epicurious.com)