Apple Cinnamon Muffins

You should smell my house when these are baking!  Oh my does it smell good here!!  What a perfect combination - apples and cinnamon - life is good!  The perfect comfort food (of course, next to chocolate!).

I am going to make these today.  You will need baking apples.  Ok, what are baking apples?  Aren't all apples created equal?  No, some apples just aren't made for baking - they get mushy and just don't hold up to the heat.  Most people will use Granny Smiths, but for a nice blend of flavors, add a mixture of apples.  Some examples of  baking apples are Jonathans, Jonagold, Fugi, Braeburns, Pink Lady, Pippin and Rome Beauty. 

The recipe . . .

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup finely chopped peeled and cored apples
3 t cinnamon, divided
3/4 c + 2 T brown sugar, divided
3 T butter (I always use unsalted)
2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t ground cloves, divided
1 egg
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 c evaporated milk

Directions

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Mix apples, 1 t cinnamon, 2 T brown sugar and butter in small sauce pan.
Heat until butter melts, then cover and steam on low heat for 2 minutes.
Sift together flour, baking powder, 1/4 t ground cloves and 1 t cinnamon.
Stir 1/2 c brown sugar into flour mixture
Beat egg, oil and evaporated milk until well blended.
Add to flour mixture and mix until moist - you don't want to mix these too much.  For a really good muffin, DO NOT OVERMIX!!  It will make it tough!
Fold in apples
Fill greased muffin tins (or tins with cupcake liners) 3/4 full.
Combine remaining 1/4 c brown sugar, 1 t cinnamon, 1/4 t ground cloves.  Sprinkle over tops of muffins.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

These are so good that it is hard to wait for them to cool down!  Enjoy!