Week 2: The "Infamous" Apple Pie Muffin

It's sort of fitting that our most popular muffin (although there are some awfully close runners-up) is also the one that launched my baking craze in the first place. I've already told you that the urge to bake was sudden and overpowering-- what I neglected to tell you, though, was that it was one recipe in particular-- the very one featured in this entry-- which really motivated me to venture into muffins (Remember: I've got a lot of experience in cookies, and I was also looking at scones that fateful night-- the evidence is still in my Favorites folder; this recipe really sealed the deal, though, and is almost single-handedly-- insofar as muffins have hands, anyway, ha, ha-- responsible for the Muffin Mafia).

Apple Pie Muffins

Okay, I see that look in your eyes. And yeah, it's a little disheartening, but it's also okay to be a little skeptical... as I know both James and Myla were when I first told them of the recipe. Apple pie? That old American favorite? That sugary, gooey dessert we eat with ice cream (and turkey and mashed potatoes, oh my)? How could it possibly be converted into muffin form? Was that even desirable?

What's truly ironic about the situation, of course, is that I don't even like apple pie. (Yeah; I said it.) But there was something about this recipe that spoke to me-- perhaps, it was the unorthodox ingredients and the unique description/concept itself-- sure, fruit is often used in muffins, but who'd ever heard of actual apple chunks? I loved the idea of trying something completely out there-- go big or not at all. (That's not really my motto in life, but it sounds good, yeah?)

James and I went shopping for the ingredients (we also searched for pumpkin puree-- for Week 3's muffins, but they were completely out... everywhere!), and we made the muffins (solo this time) Sunday night. (The gang hadn't formed completely yet back then, and Pete was busy with the World Series.) It took a bit of time, but the results were well worth the effort:

I know the crumble makes the muffins look a little suspect-- it's sort of just hanging out on top of the muffin, but I promise you that it makes up big time in taste what it lacks in looks.

Mmmm... so moist and tasty. Not too sweet, just soft, cinnamon-y apple goodness melting in my mouth.

The recipe is modified just a tad. I read through a bunch of reviews and comments on the website before deciding what to do: in the end, the change was something very subtle and minor: I tossed the apples in a mixture of cinnamon and brown sugar before folding them into the muffin batter. I was motivated in part by a love of cinnamon and brown sugar (hey, you can't go wrong!) and in part by a desire to keep the apples from browning in the batter overnight. They didn't turn brown, although whether or not it was due to the pre-mix toss is certainly questionable.
EDIT: A thank you to my very thoughtful friend and reader, Mingham, who suggested lemon juice. I do use either lemon juice or a slight salt-and-water mixture on my apples typically (to prevent browning), but I was worried that either treatment would be detrimental to the overall flavor of the muffins, particularly since the batter had to sit overnight... which is why I went with cinnamon and brown sugar instead ;)

The muffins were a huge hit. We got no less than three recipe requests... as well as a ton of "repeat make" requests.

They made an appearance at several Thanksgiving celebrations, and I'm planning on making them for my family over Christmas break.

Here's the recipe (notes and modifications included) if you want to have a go at it yourself:

The "Infamous" Recipe (Apple Pie Muffins - Modified; Original/Base Recipe here, Courtesy of Jan Brown, AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients:
Muffin Batter:
2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour (King Arthur's)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups diced apples (Red Delicious - absolutely do NOT use Granny Smith or other green apples... they do not bake nearly as well. Not sure of Gala, Fuji... but we used pretty ripe Red Delicious in ours, and they're basically standard for baking)

Crumble:
1/2 cup white sugar (I'm sure you can use brown sugar instead, but we used white in our original batch)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (King Arthur's - James swears by it)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, stir together 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate smaller bowl, mix together the egg, buttermlik, 1/2 cup melted butter, vanilla, and 1-1/2 cups of brown sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into the flour mixture. Toss the diced apples in a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle the coated apple dices into the bowl as well. Stir just until everything is blended. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin, filling the cups to the top.
3. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven or until the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

Fall in love with Cinnamon all over again.