Cinnamon Apple Muffins

My boys love muffins - they'd eat them every day if I let them; but as convenient as boxed muffin mixes are, they're also expensive. I've decided to be brave and try making muffins from scratch. I had a recipe I wanted to try, but Andrew vetoed that; apparently he was in the mood for some apple muffins. I found this recipe on Taste of Home's website and amazingly enough I had all of the ingredients (except for applesauce, but I didn't realize that until I was in the middle of the recipe).

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
3 Tbsp canola oil
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 medium McIntosh apple, peeled and grated

TOPPING:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp cold butter
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats


Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, oil and applesauce. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apple. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full.

For topping, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Add oats. Sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve with Cinnamon-Honey Butter.


*Since I didn't have any applesauce, I increased the amount of canola oil from 3 Tbsp to 1/4 cup. I used a Gala apple rather than a McIntosh, but that's all I had on hand. I just realized that the recipe said to grate the apple - I cubed it. Guess I should be a bit more careful when reading the directions. They turned out yummy though - I liked the bits of apple :)