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It's wonderful to be back home, sleeping in our comfy, familiar bed, cooking in my own little kitchen. We spent last week in New York where I studied French cooking at The Culinary Institute of America, located in Hyde Park. My husband, Scott spent three days at a food photography and styling workshop in New York City.
After being cooped up all last week in the classroom, (not that I minded it one bit) it's also great to spend time outdoors, enjoy some fresh air and wear off some of the abundance of butter and cream that I consumed while studying French cooking. The cuisine of France is not exactly lean or light and of course, I HAD to sample everything! 😉
I took a long bike ride today on the greenway near our home. The sky was a clear, deep, Carolina blue (that's what we call it here - we think that's what God probably meant for it to be called), the air was fresh and cool and I was sailing along, mindful of the path before me, when something caught my eye. I looked up ahead of me and saw the most magnificent sight.
I happened to be there at just the perfect moment ... the moment when the wind gently stirred the treetops causing a shower of brilliant colored leaves to begin fluttering through the crystal clear air about twenty yards ahead of me. As they danced and twirled silently in their final glory towards earth, a shaft of sun broke through an opening in the trees. The leaves suddenly began to glimmer and glisten and sparkle like a thousand slivers of dazzling jewels in all shades of yellow, orange and red.
The sight was so beautiful it took my breath away. I'm surprised I didn't fall off my bike as I rode spellbound staring at the shimmering performance. I spent the rest of the ride in awe, silently praising our great Creator who, in His kindness, delights us in spectacles like this, right in the midst of everyday life.
I guess you can tell, I love Fall! I adore the cool crisp weather, the gorgeous scenery and the culinary flavors! They're amazing and so unique to the season, warm spices, crisp apples and pears, squash of every shape, color and size, roasted beets, apple cider, soups and chilies, gingersnaps, pecans, turkey - I love it all!
After seeing such a glorious spectacle on my bike ride, I came home with the urge to bake something that reflected what I had just witnessed. I had a big bag of Gala apples and muffins sounded perfect. I took an old faithful, never-fail muffin recipe, added apples and apple-pie-spice, a oatmeal crumb topping and a drizzle of caramel icing.
And me? Well, I tried two also, (for you, of course).
We ate them for dessert but they'd be wonderful for breakfast, a Fall brunch, a midmorning picker-upper, an after school snack, a midnight treat, really any time of the day or night!
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Apple Pie Muffins with Caramel Drizzle
Ingredients
- For the muffins:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1½ cups peeled, cored and diced apple (¼ inch pieces) 1 large apple works perfect.
- For the crumble:
- ½ stick butter, 2 ounces or 4 tablespoons, melted
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup oatmeal
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- a pinch of salt
- For the drizzle:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Spray a 12 cup-muffin pan with baking spray or line with cupcake papers. (I like to use the grease-proof cupcake papers and spray them lightly with baking spray).
- Prepare the crumble by placing flour, brown sugar, oatmeal, sesame seeds and salt in a medium-size bowl. Mix to combine with fork. Add melted butter and continue to stir with a fork until big crumbs form. If mixture is too wet to form crumbs, just add a bit more flour and stir again with fork. Set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar. Add egg and beat well.
- Combine milk and Greek yogurt. Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with milk/yogurt mixture beating, or stirring just until combined**. Gently fold in apples.
- Divide into the twelve prepared muffin cups.
- Divide crumb mixture over batter.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 400˚F then reduce heat to 350˚ and continue to bake another 10 to 15 minutes until springy when gently touched on top. Let muffins sit in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.
- While muffins are cooling, prepare drizzle; combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a medium size microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir well and return to microwave for another 30 seconds. Add vanilla. While stirring add powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy. Mixture should drizzle easily but should not be super 'runny". Add a bit more milk or powdered sugar to adjust thickness.
- Drizzle icing randomly over muffin tops. Allow to cool and enjoy!
Notes
*If you don't have apple pie spice but you have pumpkin pie spice, by all means use the pumpkin and call them Pumpkin Pie Apple Muffins with Caramel Drizzle 🙂
** I usually beat the sugar and eggs with my stand mixer until light and fluffy and then add the milk/yogurt mixture and the dry ingredients by hand. With muffins, you don't want to over mix them or they become tough and dry.
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I love these muffins, especially that caramel drizzle!
Your apple muffins with the caramel drizzle and the yummy crunchy topping is so over the top delicious...totally craving it! Bookmarking the recipe to want to make it real soon, and link back to you:) xo
These look so scrumptious! They will be on my baking list 😉
I love muffins and these look great. Of course, adding crumble and glaze to any muffin is a good thing, right?
These look yummy! I will definitely try them. Fall is my favorite time of the year. We recently traveled 90 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway and my reaction was the same - God's creation is wonderful!!
Wow That looks absolutely delish!! Yumm!
Would you like to take part in my giveaway?
Go here: http://manjuseatingdelights.blogspot.com/2012/10/giveaway-checkerboard-cake-pan-set.html
Regards,
Manju
http://manjuseatingdelights.blogspot.com
Hi Chris, this looks like a spectacular fall dish. So yummy! I wanted to also say thank you for participating in Veronica's fundraiser for myself. I look forward to getting to know you and I really appreciate your help! 🙂
These look really delicious and love apple muffins!:)
What a lovely treat! Your bike ride sounds so lovely-I too love bike rides, especially when it's beautiful outside like you described. God is such a majestic artist.
Wow, that icing looks amazing on those muffins and I'm sure they are delicious.
Do you know that this is the first year since I moved down here that I've really been able to celebrate fall like I used to? Once I got to the point where I really hated real winter, fall became that thing that happened that meant that winter was almost here. It's taken me 15 years to really enjoy it again so I am absolutely reveling in all those things you talked about.
I could easily be convinced to revel in those muffins as well, given a chance! They look amazing.
Our leaves were extraordinary this autumn...I can only imagine the beauty you saw against that Carolina blue sky 🙂 Your muffins look incredible...I may have mentioned my love of baked goods with apples...and this is truly a winner. I'd be eating two per sitting, as well!
Sandy,
That's so funny because just as I saw your comment, I was on the phone to my hubby requesting he run into the store for me on his way home! 🙂 What would we do without these hubbies?
Just when I said I wasn't going to bake anything for while, you've tempted me. They are gorgeous!
I can just picture the scene of the beautiful leaves. Nature's pretty wonderful isn't it?!
I would say have a muffin for me but I think you already did!
Looking forward to reading about mouse's photography tips.
These really look yummy and so much like fall. It's the perfect time of year for a bike ride especially when all the trees are changing colors. Soon they'll all be bare.
Great recipe!
I absolutely love your pictures and your recipes.
These muffins look fanfreakingtastic with caramel drizzle! Thank you for sharing your never-fail recipe.
Going to make these right now! And I have all the ingredients on hand except the powdered sugar (seeing a quick trip to the store for hubby!)
Carolyn,
Thanks for your comment. I love those rays of sun too, always feel like we're getting just a tiny glimpse of His glory!
Thanks for your observant eyes regarding the crumble. I fixed the recipe both on my web page and on the printed recipe site! I think you'll love these!
@The Café Sucré Farine
Thank you so much Chris, appreciate the update.
I want to go outside! (whinny inflections here) Please! And I want some wonderfully delicious apple muffins at home waiting on me! Beautiful recipe and post - thanks for a mid-morning adventure.
A very pretty photo! Looks delish.
These looks heavenly, the caramel on top captured my eyes, been staring at it and craving it 🙂
Hi Gerry,
I actually did five posts about the workshop if you scroll back to last week. Thanks for stopping by!
Very pretty and they sound great! Looking forward to hearing about the photography workshop:@)
Autumn is my favourite season too, I love your description of the leaves and the sky, just wonderful. I often think when one looks up and sees the beautiful rays in the sky it is God looking down on us, it takes my breath away.
The muffins look delicous, just a query, at what stage does one add the crumble mixture please and did you just rub the ingredients together in the normal crumble way? I think I will make them over the weekend so just wanted to check 🙂
I love apple muffins! Yours look out of this world! I just want to rip the tops off of each muffin and eat them up!!
These muffins look so decadent! However, greek yogurt makes anything healthy...right? 🙂
Fantastic muffins and jealous of your amazing cooking trip! Will there be a post about it?
Can't wait to hear more about the photography tips, but in the meantime, these muffins look to-die for (and I love the change from ordinary muffin shape!).
What a lovely bike ride you had and the muffins are so beautiful with the crumble and caramel! I miss Fall a little bit, because in Singapore it's always hot, hot, hot 🙂