Bakery Style Apple Muffins

Image from Add a Pinch website

Of course, dear reader, I am considering fall-themed food during my favorite season. I enjoy anything pumpkin, apple, or maple-flavored this time of year. My go-to fall coffee is a pumpkin spice latte. Along with a latte, I enjoy a small sweet treat. I love a good muffin. Blueberry muffins are my favorite, but apple muffins are a close second. I prefer a muffin with a lot of fruit, a crunchy sugar top, and a moist texture. The recipe I am sharing with you today delivers all those options. Not only are these a delectable sweet treat, but they also scent your home with a delicate apple and cinnamon fragrance when baking. This recipe is the perfect baking project for a chilly fall morning.

I prefer to use fresh apples from our local growers and vanilla from my favorite vanilla lady, Amanda, who is Sweet Home Vanilla. This recipe makes a dozen muffins and only requires one apple. However, I prefer extra fruit, so I use two finely chopped apples. I like to use Cortland, Gala, Honey Crisp, or Rome apples. You could also use Granny Smith apples if you prefer a tart, crisp apple. The secret to evenly dispersed fruit throughout your muffins is to coat them in flour before mixing them into the batter. Otherwise, all the fruit sinks to the bottom of the muffins and creates a somewhat soggy texture. I learned this the hard way...insert a wink.

I found this recipe on the Add A Pinch website several years ago. It has been printed out and has been part of my Tinkerbell folder recipes for quite some time. If you love to bake, I gently suggest exploring the hundreds of recipes on Add A Pinch. The Ligonier Country Market is open for two more Saturdays if you want fresh, local apples and produce. JP's Produce is where I purchase my Honey Crisp apples each week. We hope to see you this Saturday.

Bakery Style Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

2 Cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. all-purpose flour for coating the apples

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon for coating the apples

2 Cups diced apples

1/2 Cup butter, room temperature

1 Cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 Cup milk

For the Topping:

1/2 Cup butter, melted

1/4 Cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375º F. Spray muffin tins with baker's spray or coat well with shortening or butter and flour, discarding any excess flour after coating.

• Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

• Mix flour with ground cinnamon to coat the apples. In a separate bowl, toss diced apples with the flour/cinnamon mixture to coat them. Set aside.

• Cream together butter and sugar until lightened in color, about 3 minutes. Add an egg, one at a time, taking care to fully incorporate before adding the other. Mix in vanilla.

• Gently fold in the flour mixture, alternating with milk. Stir until just combined. Fold in diced apples and scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

• Prepare the muffin topping while the muffins are baking by melting the butter and allowing it to cool slightly. Pour the butter into a separate bowl sized easy for dipping the tops of muffins. Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl and set aside.

• Once the muffins have been baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly in the muffin tin. Then, remove each muffin and brush the butter on with a pastry brush (or dip it into the melted butter) and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place them onto a plate to finish cooling.

On this lovely late summer day, stay safe, be smart, enjoy delicious food, and keep washing your hands.