Apple Crisp Muffins

Fall is here, people!! 

I adore all things Fall and it's not just because my birthday is coming up or the fact that Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend.  Ok, maybe it is because there's a whole lotta food involved in both of those celebrations not to mention lots of family time.  

Stay tuned for a great (hopefully) appetizer recipe that I'm trying out on my unsuspecting extended family this weekend which involves bread, bacon, green onions and a whole lotttta cheese because our family is doing 'Pub Grub' for Thanksgiving.  It's not traditional but neither are we!  Sure we'll have turkey (my mom is making one ahead of time) so we can have smothered hot turkey sandwiches along with chicken wings, dips, cheesy bacon fries, bruschetta ....  The list is seriously long so stay tuned!

Another reason I love Fall is because it's apple season!  Glorious bushels of Macs are just waiting to be made into my favourite dishes.  Before I get into the recipe for Apple Crisp Muffins here's a list of some of my ultimate apple recipes in case you get a hankering ...

Apple Fritter Pancakes
Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Apple Cranberry Pear Crisp
Strawberry Rhubarb Apple Crisp
Apple Crisp
Bavarian Apple Torte ** one of my favourite recipes of all time! **
Gooey Warm Apples
My Mother-in-Law's Famous Apple Pie

Without further adieu, here's a great recipe for apple muffins that are moist, a little spicy from the cinnamon/nutmeg/cloves.  It, of course, has a delicious crumble topping that we know and love from the heavenly bliss that is a dessert that combines apples and a crumbly, cinnamon-y, delicious, crispy topping in one amazing, hard to stop eating dish. 

What are your favourite apple dishes?

1/4 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
1/4 tbsp grapeseed or vegetable oil
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 McIntosh apples, peeled and diced

Topping
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup quick oats
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp margarine or butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 pinches nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350F and place muffin papers in a muffin tray.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine margarine, oil, sugars, applesauce, egg and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Place diced apple pieces into a bowl and pour 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture over the apples and toss to coat (this will help the apples not sink to the bottom of your muffins).

In a small bowl, combine your topping ingredients.  Using a pastry cutter blend the margarine/butter into the other ingredients until they look like pebbly crumbs.

Pour flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix lightly just until combined.  Over mixing will result in heavy muffins.  Gently fold in apples. 

Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin (I use my large Pampered Chef scoop for this).  Sprinkle the topping ingredients generously over each muffin.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the middle muffins comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy!

Inspired by: Iowagirleats.com (Apple Crisp Muffins)