Apple Pie Muffins

Since it's fall, and since I'm always trying to come up with new muffin ideas, I decided to try an apple pie type muffin.  I've had this idea swirling around in my brain for a few weeks, so I didn't bother trying to find a recipe for it.  I made this one up, or at least I think I did, but you know how that goes - you think you've invented a new recipe, but then you find out someone already beat you to it.  So, I'm sure someone has thought of this idea already, but this particular recipe is my own.

I wasn't sure how they would come out, so my fingers were crossed as my son bit into the final result.  Turns out this recipe is a winner - he LOVED them!  So then of course I had to try them, and I have to say that I impressed myself with this one.  Love it when that happens!  These would be good for breakfast, snack, dessert.....lunch, dinner, really they are good to eat at any point in the day!  Yum, yum, yum!  I think this blog is making me gain weight.  I might have to start a blog on how to loose weight and exercise next!

Doesn't this muffin look so good?  It's got apple pie filling oozing out the side.....mmm.  That's it, I'm going to have another one right now!

Apple Pie Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup apples, peeled & chopped

Filling:  3/4 cup apples, peeled & chopped
              1/4 cup apple juice
              1/4 tsp cinnamon
              1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
              1 tbsp apple juice mixed with 2 tsp cornstarch until smooth

Topping:  1/3 cup brown sugar
                   1 tbsp flour
                   1/8 tsp cinnamon
                   1 tbsp butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375 and spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.  Start by making the filling - combine the apples, apple juice, cinnamon & nutmeg in a small saucepan and cook on medium high until the apples start to soften.  Add the apple juice and cornstarch mixture, stir well and let it come to a boil.  It should thicken as it starts to boil, so once it does you can remove it from the heat.  This part can be tricky because different apples create different amounts of juice as they cook, so if it's not thick enough add a little more cornstarch mixed with a little more apple juice, or if it's too thick you can thin it by adding more apple juice (a little at a time).  The goal is for the filling to be thickened like an apple pie filling.  

In a medium bowl stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until well combined, then stir in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated.  Stir in the 3/4 cup of chopped apples (not the cooked ones).  Then add the flour mixture and stir just until it's blended together.  Fill each muffin cup just slightly less than 1/2 half full with the muffin batter.  Add about a heaping tsp of the apple pie filling to each muffin cup, then top each with the remaining batter divided evenly. 

In a small bowl, mix all the topping ingredients together with a fork until the mixture turns into crumbs.  Sprinkle this topping over each muffin cup, then place muffin pan into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Let the muffins set in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.