Apple Pie cupcakes

Here it is! The recipe everyone has been asking for: Apple Pie cupcakes!

It was very easy to make, it just took longer than I expected. Super good, and it got great reviews at work from my co-workers!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup milk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened until easily spreadable
• 2 cups dark brown sugar

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk dry ingredients and spices in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup.
2. Beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first on low, then medium, until mixture forms pebble-sized pieces. Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture and beat on low until smooth. Add remaining milk mixture in two stages; beat on medium speed until batter is just smooth. Add the sugar; beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into cupcake pan.
3. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean. (I start checking at 15 minutes, and then every few minutes to see if it is ready) Let cool, then fill it with the apple filling recipe!

For the apple filling: ( i adjusted the ingredients so it would make more of the filling because I had run out of it, and liked my cupcakes to have extra yummy filling!!)

3 tbsp. butter

3 tsp. cinnamon

3-4 tbsp. sugar

5 large apples, peeled, cored and diced

To make the apple filling, heat the butter a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon and sugar and cook for a minute, until the mixture begins to bubble. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the apples. Mix well. Cook until the apples are somewhat tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

While the apple mixture is cooling, use the cone method to remove a chunk from the center of each cupcake, making sure to leave a rim around the top of the cupcake. Fill the holes with the cooled apple mixture. To decorate, top each cupcake with a swirl of vanilla buttercream.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups finely chopped peeled apples
• 
  
• STREUSEL:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons cold butter or margarine

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

apple cinnakin cookies

Last week I attempted a new recipe. I thought Apples and Cinnamon sounded good together, so I thought I'd give it a whirl, not knowing how it turned out. The first batch I made just tasted like cinnamon. I added more apple, and the "appley" taste started to come out more. When I post the recipe, if anyone has extra ideas and ingredients for me to jazz them up, let me know:-)

I named them apple cinnakin cookies because Jack's aunt Mary had given me ideas for names for my pumpkin cookies. Apple Cinnakins seemed to fit this recipe perfectly!

APPLE CINNAKIN COOKIES

First, I mixed the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Added the applesauce and other ingredients....

Bake in the oven for 7-9 mins ( right around 8 was perfect!)

I added some raisins for extra fun!!

I will post recipe later tonight!

Calling All Apple Cider Lovers!

I decided it was unfair to post just a recipe for hot chocolate. I figured not everyone likes chocolate, so I found another popular favorite that sounds delicious on a crisp fall or wintry day! HOT APPLE CIDER! It's almost that season too! I can't wait to sit by my fireplace and enjoy a mug full!

Recipe:

• 6 cups apple cider
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 whole cloves
• 6 whole allspice berries
• 1 orange peel, cut into strips
• 1 lemon peel, cut into strips

Directions

• Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large stainless steel saucepan.
• Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel and lemon peel in the center of a washed square of cheesecloth; fold up the sides of the cheesecloth to enclose the bundle, then tie it up with a length of kitchen string.
• Drop the spice bundle into the cider mixture.
• Place the saucepan over moderate heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cider is very hot but not boiling.
• Remove the cider from the heat. Discard the spice bundle. Ladle the cider into big cups or mugs, adding a fresh cinnamon stick to each serving if desired.