Caramel Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Topping (Recipe Below)

• 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream 
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples
• 1 (14-oz.) package caramels
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 cup chopped lightly salted, roasted pecans
• Wax paper
• Food-safe twigs or craft sticks
• 
  
• Directions:
• 1. 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare Cinnamon Topping as directed.
• 1. 2. Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 30 seconds or until blended.
• 1. 3. Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture, beating at low speed just until
• 1. blended. (Do not overmix.) Stir in diced apples. Spoon into a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan, filling three-fourths full; sprinkle with Cinnamon Topping.
• 1. 4. Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely (about 30 minutes).
• 1. 5. Microwave caramels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thick enough to coat muffins.
• 1. 6. Quickly dip bottom three-fourths of each muffin into caramel mixture; roll bottom half of caramel-coated portion of muffin in chopped pecans, and place muffins, caramel sides up, on lightly greased wax paper. (If caramel mixture begins to harden before you've dipped all the muffins, microwave mixture a few seconds to soften.) Insert food-safe twigs or craft sticks into caramel-covered portions of muffins.
• 
  
• Tips & Tricks:  These are prettiest the day they are made­. After standing overnight, the caramel melts into the muffins. (They're still delicious!) 

Cinnamon Topping

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 
  
• Directions:
• Stir together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Carrot Currant Muffins

From Martha's Whole Living Site

Ingredients: Makes 14
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg whites
2 cups grated carrots (about 2 lg carrots)
1/2 cup dried currants

With a pinch of cinnamon and a handful of dried currants, these muffins taste like a hybrid of carrot and spice cake.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 14 cups of
   two 12-cup muffin tins with baking cups,
   and lightly coat each with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together flours, sugar, baking
   powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the cinnamon
   in a large bowl. Whisk together
   yogurt, oil, eggs, and egg whites in a
   medium bowl. Fold yogurt mixture into flour mixture, then gently fold in carrots
   and currants until combined.
3. Spoon batter into baking cups until
   each is three-quarters full. Bake until a
   toothpick inserted into the center of each
   comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
   Transfer pans to wire racks, and let cool
   for 10 minutes. Turn out muffins
   onto racks, and let cool completely.

Good Morning Muffins

Ingredients:
Makes 12 Muffins
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup hot water

1 small zucchini, grated (about 1-1/2 cups packed)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped, toasted
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped (about 1 cu)
2/3 cups packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin, coat with nonstick cooking spray, or line with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, stir together the wheat bran and hot water until the bran is completely moistened. Add the zucchini, raisins, pecans, coconut, and apple and stir until well mixed.  Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together the sugar and eggs on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and lightens. (If you use a handheld mixer, this same step will take 6 to 8 minutes). On low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil and then the vanilla. Don’t pour the oil in all at once. Add it slowly so it has time to incorporate into the eggs and doesn’t deflate the air you have just beaten into the batter. Adding it should take about 1 minute. When the oil and vanilla are incorporated, remove the bowl from the mixer stand. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well mixed. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and fold carefully just until the dry and wet ingredients are well combined. Then add the bran mixture and fold again just until well combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it evenly and filling the cups to the rim (almost overflowing). Bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly browned on top and spring back when pressed in the middle with a fingertip. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan. The muffins taste best the day you bake them, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you keep them for longer than 1 day, refresh them in a 300 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Sweet Potato Muffins
Morning Girl Blog Post

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Combine sugar and oil; beat well. Add eggs and beat. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with water. Stir in sweet potatoes and chopped nuts.
2. Pour batter into greased 9x5 inch loaf pan (or 2 small loaf pans). Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about one hour.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 303 | Total Fat: 13.5g | Cholesterol: 35mg