Acute How-To: Apple Spice Muffins

One of my favorite things about fall is baking. During the summer, it is always a little bit too hot to have my oven on all day. Chilly autumn Saturdays always make me want to cook warm soups and bake with seasonal fruits and vegetables.

One of my favorite things to make is simple and hearty apple spice muffins. The sweetness from the apples with the warmth of cinnamon and allspice is the perfect fall treat.

What you will need:

• 1 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 cup of whole wheat
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon allspice
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter {at room temperature}
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup {no sugar added} applesauce
• ½ cup skim milk
• 1 medium apple, sliced into thin pieces
• 1/4 cup brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon – for the topping

Step One:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step Two:

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients {flour through allspice}. Use a whisk to mix these all together.

Step Three:

Use an electric mixer to mix together the butter and sugar until well combined {about a minute}. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract for another minute. Finally, add in the applesauce.

Step Four:

Add the dry ingredients and the milk to the egg/butter/sugar mixture. Alternate ½ of the dry ingredients, then ½ of the milk, and so on. Once batter is just combined, fold in the apple pieces.

Step Five:

Divide the muffin batter equally among 12 muffin cups and top each muffin with a sprinkle of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Enjoy!