Apple Pecan Muffins

Apple Pecan Muffins
From The Food You Crave

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes (or until the toothpick comes out clean)

Makes 12 -20 muffins (depending on the size of the muffin pans)

Ingredients:
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp firmly packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup chopped pecans
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour or whole grain pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup low fat buttermilk (my note: buttermilk substitute just under ¾ cup milk plus juice of ½ lemon)
1 Golden Delicious apple (I used whatever was in the fridge), cut into ¼“ pieces

Directions:
1. Pre heat the oven to 400°F/200°C and spray muffin tins with cooking spray or use paper liners.

2. In a small bowl mix together 2 tbsp of brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Set aside (Of course I didn’t read this very well and combined ALL the brown sugar with the cinnamon and pecans. Nice crunchiness of pecans in every bite, though.)

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda and salt.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together ¾ cup brown sugar (or like me, just set aside 2 tbsp of the mixture and add the rest of the mix, pecans and all) and oil until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, just until combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins (2/3 full). Sprinkle with the brown sugar, pecan mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Test for doneness by sticking a wooden toothpick in the center. If it comes out dry, they’re done.

6. Cool on a cake rack for 15 minutes.

Store in an air tight container in the fridge for 3 days or freezer for 3 months.

Copyright (c) 2008 by Ellie Krieger. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Random House.