Apple Pie Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Sometimes, you just want something comforting, homey, and extremely autumnal. I’ve been on a muffin craze recently (which you will soon find out more about), where I discovered that I actually can make a good muffin, and I rediscovered the reason why muffins have always been above cupcakes in my hierarchy of favourite baked goods.

A couple weeks ago, I sat down, scouring through pinterest for a recipe that would satisfy my need for something comforting, homey and autumnal. Cinnamon rolls, cinnamon cupcakes, cinnamon muffins, apple-cinnamon muffins, apple stuffed cupcakes, raspberry streusel mufffins, snickerdoodle muffins with a cinnamon sugar crust, apple pie…the list was endless. All very comforting, homey and autumnal (not to mention looked delicious) but I needed something more. So I decided to grab a bunch of recipes, mash them all together and put my own spin on it.

I call it my apple-pie cinnamon streusel muffin: a moist, fluffy, cinnamon muffin with a delicious apple-pie filling, topped with cinnamon streusel. Honestly, what can get better than that? (I mean just look at that centre. If you’re not wishing for one right in front of you, or for it to be autumn right now…I just have no words for you.) As always, the recipe is a scroll away if you just can’t resist!

Makes about 12-16 Muffins (Recipe adapted from/inspired by the following recipes: cinnamon muffin, apple pie filling and streusel)

Muffins

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tbsp yoghurt (optional)

Apple Pie Filling

• 4 medium apples – peeled, cored and cut into small, roughly 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornflour
• 2 tablespoons water

Streusel Topping

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 stick butter – melted
• 1 tsp cinnamon

 

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C/170°C fan forced and line a 12 pan muffin tray (and an extra couple or a mini muffin tray in case) with muffin paper or cupcake liners.
2. FOR THE APPLE PIE FILLING: Melt the butter and cinnamon together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in the cubed apples, 3 tbsp of water and the sugar. Cover with a lid and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring every now and again. Mix the cornflour and 2 tbsp of water together in a small dish. Once the apples are soft at the edges, add the cornflour and water mixture to the saucepan and mix until the mixture is thick. Set aside to cool.
3. FOR THE STREUSEL: Mix flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl until well combined. Add in the melted butter and mix until the mixture resembles rough crumbs and set aside.
4. FOR THE MUFFIN: Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg (optional) in a medium sized bowl and mix throughly. Set aside.
5. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until pale and fluffy.
6. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Follow up with the vanilla, beating well.
7. Fold in half of the flour mixture until mostly combined. Add in the milk and mix until half-combined. Add in the rest of the flour mixture and mix until just combined, making sure not to overmix.
8. Place one tablespoon of muffin mix into each muffin liner (until 1/3 full). Place a heaped teaspoon (or however much you’d like) of the apple pie filling into the centre. Cover with another tablespoon of muffin mix, and repeat until all the mixture is gone.
9. Sprinkle the muffins generously with the pre-prepared streusel topping.
10. Place in preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Test the muffin portion with a skewer to ensure it comes out clean or with moist crumbs sticking on to it. If it is still wet, bake for an additional 5 minutes and check again.
11. Take muffins out and let them cool in their trays for 10 minutes, before removing and placing on a wire rack to fully cool (or to be eaten while still warm, they are honestly the best this way).

Notes

• Store those that survived the cooling process without being eaten in an airtight container at room temperature. These taste best the day they’re made, but taste pretty good up until around the 4th day.
• These are definitely best served warm. Eat them right out of the oven, or pop them in your oven or microwave for a couple of minutes or seconds just to get that filling all nice and warm. Eating them cold has an advantage too though: you don’t compromise on the possibility of the streusel getting soggy!
• I’d recommend the nutmeg. It gives the muffin just that extra bit of warmth. Honestly, I just add it in because it reminds me of baking from my childhood; for nostalgia’s sake.

 

Here’s that filling again, just because it’s too beautiful to look at only once.

I’m sorry for being basically on a hiatus for almost a month. I’ve just been super busy with exams (which just finished!), pile-loads of schoolwork (which teachers just love to give just before exams), and just everything else that honestly, the last month has just been a blur. Despite that, I haven’t forgotten and have many posts planned (many recipes, of course as I just couldn’t give up on my baking) and I can’t wait to start catching up on your blog posts again! I’d love it if you could comment with some of your recent blog posts for me to have a read of! (:

Thank you for all the support, I love being able to blog about things that I’m passionate about and share it with you all, and I’m so grateful for you guys even though there may be only a few. Hope you’re having a lovely day wherever you are!

– Jess xx

 

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