Applesauce Muffins

When I think of muffins, I think of my two younger brothers. I first think of Joe who loves any kind of breakfast food. He makes himself German pancakes for lunch, has a “cereal snack” three times a day, and he can eat more muffins than anyone I know. He is 15, 6’3” or 4”,  and is as skinny as a rail. I wish I could eat that many muffins and stay that skinny. I also think of my brother Riley who is two years younger than me. When we were little we did everything together. One time when we were quite young, my mom had made muffins. We weren’t supposed to eat anymore because she was saving them for something. But somehow, Riley had snuck into the kitchen with a fork, stabbed a muffin when he thought no one was watching, and took of running up the stairs. Everyone saw him and it was quite funny to watch his little arms pumping up and down with a forked muffin rising and falling, as he ran for safety. And I don’t blame him; a good muffin is worth fighting for!

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Makes 24 muffins

• 2 sticks of butter
• 2 C. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 C. unsweetened applesauce
• 3 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground allspice (or 1 tsp. allspice and 1 tsp. nutmeg)
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 4 C. flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 C. chopped nuts (optional)
• 1/2 C. cinnamon chips for topping (optional)

Streusel:

• 1/2 C. sugar
• 3 TBSP. flour
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 TBSP. cold butter, in small pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 357 F. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the applesauce, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.

2. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a separate bowl. Add to the apple sauce mixture and mix just until combined. It is important to add the dry ingredients all at once to the wet ingredients and mix as little as possible when making muffins. Over mixing will produce rubbery muffins.

3. Stir in chopped nuts, if desired.

4. Pour into greased or lined muffin tins. Mix together streusel ingredients in a small bowl and cut in the butter until crumble. Sprinkle over the tops of the muffins. Sprinkle cinnamon chips over the top, if desired. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Muffin recipe adapted from www.muffinrecipes.net and streusel recipe adapted from The Craft Patch.