Apple Muffins

If you have never had a warm apple muffin, bursting with bits of fresh, sweet apples, you are missing out. Apple muffins are my favorite, as far as muffins go, but I had never endeavored to make my own until now. It took some trial and error, but the final results are these spectacular little treats.

I used honeycrisp apples in this recipe, but I am sure many varieties of apples would work in these muffins.

Ingredients:
Muffins

• 2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground clove
• ¾ cup of granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 large apples, diced
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup of milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup butter, room temperature

Topping

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• ¼ cup of melted butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375℉. Toss diced apples in ½ teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon flour, set aside. Grease 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray or butter, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, clove, baking powder and salt. Stir until fully combined.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars for 3 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy. Add egg, one at a time, mixing on medium speed and combining fully before adding second egg. Mix in vanilla extract.
4. Gently stir in half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by half of the milk. Stir, then add the remaining flour mixture and milk. The batter will be very thick.
5. Fold the apples into the batter, very gently.
6. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, careful not to fill each muffin cup more than three quarters full.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes in the muffin tins before transfering to a cooling rack.