Apple Muffins with Crisp Topping

Here's another great use for all those Fall apples you're picking this month. These muffins are extraordinarily moist, perfectly spicy, and the crumbly topping is a nice sweet addition that makes you want to save the top for last! Without going on and on and on about how good these are, I will simply say... make these muffins! You won't be sorry! (My husband has offed four all by himself today and asked when I'm going back for more apples to make more.)

Apple Muffins with Crisp Topping

Makes 12 regular muffins, or a whole mess of minis!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt (if using a heavier Kosher salt, up it to 3/4 tsp)
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• ------whisk ---------
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used dark)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• ------cream until fluffy------
• 1 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 3 apples, peeled. 1 shredded, and two finely chopped

Topping:

• 1/3 Cup packed brown sugar (again, I used dark)
• 1 TBSP flour
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 TBSP oatmeal
• -----whisk together, then cut in...-----
• 2 TBSP room temp salted butter

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Whisk together dry ingredients.
• In a separate bowl, cream the sugars, eggs, and butter until light and fluffy.
• Add the shredded apple and vanilla to the wet mix and stir in with a spatula or wooden spoon.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold together with spatula or spoon until all the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
• Add chopped apple and fold in until well-distributed.
• Mix topping - dry ingredients first. Then use a fork to cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
• Line muffin tray with papers or liberally spray each cup.
• Fill each cup to the top with batter.
• Sprinkle with topping.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Mini-muffins for 13-14 minutes. Or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.

*You can also bake this as a coffee cake too. 8x8 pan, spray it well! Bake 20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.

*If you really like the topping - double it... I won't tell anyone.

I like to make the mini-muffins topping-free for my daughter. Less messy, and a little healthier!