It’s hard to believe that we are already almost half way through September. I feel like this month is flying by, and I’m so busy that it’s hard to keep up. I have my recipes for this month all lined up and ready to go, but I have to admit I’m a little nervous about October recipes. My spooky season recipes, all though my favorites, tend to require a little more time and testing. I have six recipes planned, and I should get them all done in time but it’s a little stressful.
But let’s not focus on that, let’s focus on the fact that its fall! I’m in full cozy mood and allegedly, the weather is supposed to cool down a lot this week. It’s hard to feel stressed when you’re wrapped up in a cozy sweater with a cup of warm coffee and a pumpkin muffin.
This month I have five delicious cozy recipes headed your way. I love fall baking because there’s just so much you can do with this season’s flavors, and I feel like I’m my most creative this time of year. These muffins however, are a twist on a fall classic, and definitely one you’re going to want to keep in your back pocket.
Describe these Muffins to Me
Taste: These muffins have a sweet apple flavor which is drawn out by the spices and brown sugar. The caramel shards add this extra bittersweet flavor layer that ties together beautifully with the apple, vanilla, and brown sugar.
Texture: These muffins are fluffy and moist, with little bursts of juicy apples. The caramel shards melt into these little gooey puddles when baked, which contrasts the fluffy muffins and juicy apples.
Ease: These are a little trickier than a classic apple muffin, but nothing excessively difficult. Making the caramel shards adds an extra step, but this kind of caramel is probably the fastest and easiest one you can make. Preparing the apples also adds an extra step, but once again, it isn’t difficult. Once that’s done the batter is pretty simple, and comes together quickly with no fuss.
The Apples
This recipe prepares the apples a little differently than some other muffin recipes might. I mix the chopped apples together with some sugar and spices, let it rest for a while, and add it to the batter at the end. This draws the juice out of the apples and makes a sort of spiced apple syrup that gets swirled into the batter.
The Caramel Shards
I have used these caramel shards countless times, in cookies, muffins, and on top of cupcakes. I love them because they’re so quick to throw together and they add so much to a recipe. All you have to do is melt a little sugar on the stove, add in some butter, and spread it out on some parchment paper. After it’s cooled you can break it up into shards, which I think is kind of fun. They melt into the batter and form these gooey puddles of caramel that compliments the apples so well.
Cinnamon Caramel Apple Muffins
Ingredients
Method
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium sized saucepan, melt the sugar over medium heat until amber brown, for roughly 6 minutes. It will seem like nothing is happening at first, but the sugar will begin to melt and clump up, and will eventually all cook down to a deep amber brown. Once melted, add the butter and use a whisk to combine. Once butter is completely melted and combined, remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately pour the caramel onto the previously prepared baking sheet and spread it out into a relatively thin layer. It hardens fast, so work quickly! Let the caramel sit for at least 10 minutes before using your hands to break it into small shards. Set aside while we make the batter.
- In a small mixing bowl, toss together the apples, ¼ cup of the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. It might seem a little dry at first but as it sits, the sugar will draw out the moisture from the apples and create a syrupy mixture. Set aside to rest while we prepare the rest of the batter.
- Line a 12 count muffin tin with cupcake wrappers, and line 4 of the molds in a second cupcake tin. This recipe makes about 16 muffins. Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted, keep cooking and the butter will start to sizzle and foam. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, and the butter will start to brown. Once caramel brown, remove from the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl to cool for five minutes.
- Once cooled, add the remaining ½ cup of brown sugar and the granulated sugar to the butter. Whisk until combined. Whisk in the applesauce, followed by the eggs. The eggs should bring the mixture together. Mix in the vanilla. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and use a large plastic spatula to fold it all together.
- Add the apple mixture to the batter, making sure to add all of the juices, and use a large spatula to fold it together. Finally, fold in the caramel shards.
- Scoop the batter into the previously prepared muffin tin. And fill just bellow the top.
- Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425℉. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350℉ and bake for another 15-18 minutes. The muffins should bounce back when lightly poked, and an inserted toothpick should come out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 15 minutes before enjoying. Leftover muffins last up to three days sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator.