Apple Muffins

My Mama is a big reason I enjoy cooking - especially baking, so much.  As early as I can remember, she had my sister and I in the kitchen with her as her little "helpers".  We loved it - even if "it" was just helping measure out the flour and sugar or dumping chocolate chips into a bowl of cookie batter.

She's a great cook, and growing up my family was very lucky to have a mom that would put a hot, homemade meal on the table for us every night.  But not only dinner, she also made a lot of our breakfasts.  We weren't allowed to eat pop tarts or cereal very often.  She was constantly making eggs, pancakes, cinnamon rolls and muffins.

So, I was looking for something I could make as thank you for Hubby's friend who gave us all of the pears and apples, and I came across this recipe for apple crumb muffins on The Girl Who Ate Everything.  This was exactly the kind of thing that I was looking for.  This friend has young children and I wanted to make something that they would enjoy as well, but that wouldn't be messy like a cake or pie.

The recipe is very easy, and the results are fantastic. Of course, Hubby and I had to try them before we sent the majority of them off. Well, the look on his face said he'd died and gone to Heaven. He proceeded to eat an additional two!

As for me, my first bite took me straight back to my childhood.  They tasted like one of the delicious muffins Mama would make. These are moist and have just the perfect density.  The amount of sweetness is just right too - not sweet like a cake, but you definitely get the sweetness.

I will definitely be making these little gems again!

Apple Muffins

by Marissa Pinon

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups peeled, cored, diced apples (around 3 apples)
Brown sugar for topping (around 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until smooth.

Sift dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. The batter will be very thick. Add the diced apples.

Butter & flour muffin tins or use paper liners. Fill muffin tins to the top. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 18-24 muffins.