Apple Strudel Muffins

One morning I was in a baking mood- I made granola and a couple different kinds of muffins all before the kids took a nap.  Unfortunately, my baking powder was dead and I didn't realize this and I proceeded to go through all the effort of making these Apple Strudel muffins.  It wasn't until the timer on the oven went off and I opened the door that I saw my sunken oozy mess.  I knew instantly my baking powder was the culprit.  I tested it out by mixing baking powder with hot water and when one little bubble formed and nothing else, my suspicions were confirmed.  Just to see if my baking soda was also failing me, I mixed that with vinegar but got a lovely bubbly reaction.  Off my husband went to the store to pick up some more baking powder and the Buttermilk Oatmeal muffins that were also on my baking to do list were saved.  The sunken gooey apple strudel mess was delicious and addicting and had disappeared by the end of the day.

A week or two later I made them again for a baby shower.  They rose just fine this time; however, the dense sunken mess was actually more delicious than the properly risen muffins.  But if your baking powder is fresh, you will never discover this, so proceed.

Great Autumn Baking Recipe!  Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups apple (1 cup shredded, 1/2 cup chopped- approx 3 apples)

Strudel:
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp oats


Directions:

Combine shredded and chopped apples with 1/2 of the brown sugar in a bowl and set aside to allow sugars to leech out the juices (this is a good thing- keep the juices!)

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder+soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  In another mixing bowl, combine melted butter, remaining sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Whisk or use your electric mixer to mix well.  Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Add in apple/sugar mixture (and the juices at the bottom of the bowl) and combine gently.  Don't over mix your muffins. 

In another bowl, combine the strudel ingredients except for the oats and mix with a pastry cutter to create a crumble.  Divide in half and add oats to one. 

Fill your greased or paper-cup-lined muffin tin with a heaped teaspoon of the muffin mix, add the non-oat strudel topping and then add another heaped teaspoon of muffin mix on top.  Top with oat strudel topping.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let your muffins sit a few minutes before removing them from the pan.