Apple Fritter Muffins

Feeling a little let-down today after being treated like a queen yesterday on Mother's Day?   Perk yourself right up with an apple muffin recipe I found from another member of royalty:   The Cookie Princess herself! 

Colleen, who writes Secrets from the Cookie Princess is a 30-something higher education administrative coordinator living in Massachusetts.  She started her blog back in 2010, the year she baked 163 dozen cookies from over 2 dozen recipes as holiday gifts for family and friends.  

Besides cookies, Colleen also bakes, cooks and blogs about other yummy items as well.  I was very lucky to find her recipe for Apple Fritter Muffins, loaded with massive apple flavor!

Unlike most of the other Secret Recipe Club recipes I've been making lately, where the ingredient list is short and the steps shorter, this recipe has many ingredients and many steps.  But fear not, Dear Reader!  The most difficult part of the recipe is cleaning up afterwards.  The directions are very easy.  In fact, you don't even need a mixer.  A spatula, a whisk, a spoon and you're on your way to sweet heaven.

No special effects ... just angled light 
reflecting off a slightly warped platter.

I only had two 6-cup muffin tins, so I used a mini-donut pan to bake up the remaining batter, baking the minis around 10 minutes.  They really came out adorable!   After scarfing a few for myself, I brought the remaining muffins and donuts in for my co-workers, and the whole batch disappeared almost in an instant.  So don't say I didn't warn you!

Nose on right ... courtesy of Cujo.

Not sure why these are called apple fritter muffins, since fritters are deep-fried and dredged in powdered sugar.  These babies are baked and dredged in icing.  Maybe it's the way cool name factor.  But in the end it doesn't matter ... because you will be calling them delicious!

Apple Fritter Muffins
Adapted from: Secrets from the Cookie Princess
Yield: 16 muffins

4 Tbl. butter, divided
2 medium-large McIntosh or Rome apples
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 Tbl. plus 2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
3 Tablespoons hot water, divided, plus more if needed
2 2/3 cups flour, divided
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
1/3 packed cup brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (or 1 Tbl. white vinegar stirred into 1 cup milk)
1 cup powdered sugar

Peel, core and dice apples.

I could eat this RIGHT NOW!

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and two tablespoons of the water.  Saute occasionally until apples are tender and glazed over, about 8-10 minutes, reducing heat to low if bubbling too fiercely.

I could eat THIS right now!

Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Gradually stir in 1/3 cup flour, letting batter thicken and coat the apples. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining flour and cinnamon along with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together applesauce, oil, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract, 1 remaining cup of granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and combined.  Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.

Alternately add in flour mixture and buttermilk into egg/sugar mixture, stirring with a rubber spatula just enough to combine, beginning and ending with flour mixture.    Fold in the apples.

Even THIS I could eat right now!

Divide muffin batter among 16 well-greased or lined muffin cups.

Run a table knife around the edges if needed to free muffins from pan.

Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until golden and have spring back when lightly touched.  Cool in pan for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool slightly, but still warm.

While muffins cool, prepare the glaze:

Melt 2 remaining tablespoons of butter.   Whisk in powdered sugar along with remaining teaspoon vanilla and tablespoon hot water. Glaze should be smooth and only slightly drippy.  Stir in more water, a teaspoon at a time if needed.

Invert each muffin and dip into the glaze, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Return to wire rack. Dip each muffin a second time.

Allow glaze to set before serving.

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