Spiced apple streusel muffins

After making the spiced apple galette, I had three Granny Smith apples leftover. Not wanting to make another galette so soon, I used the leftover apples to make applesauce.

The applesauce had been sitting in the fridge for a few days. I was worried that it would turn, so I flipped through the Wheat Belly 30-Minute Cookbook to see what I could do with it. I came across a recipe for apple streusel muffins. After checking I had everything (yay!) in the pantry, I got to working.

Spiced apple streusel muffin with cappuccino

Ingredients

yields 12 muffins

4 C All-Purpose Baking Mix (recipe here)
½ C demerara sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp pink salt
1 C unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade applesauce, spiced with cinnamon and cloves)
3 free-range large eggs
1 tbsp xylitol
½ C butter, cut into small pieces

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 165°C. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin pan or use silicon muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, combine the baking mix, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix well. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture in a medium bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine the applesauce and eggs and stir until smooth.
   
4. Add the applesauce mix to the dry mixture in 4 batches and stir to combine thoroughly.
   
5. Divide the batter among the muffin cups.
   
6. To make the streusel topping, add the xylitol to the reserved dry mixture. Cut in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly.
   
7. Spoon the streusel topping gently over the tops of the muffins.
   
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
   
9. Let the muffins sit in the cups for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
   
   
10. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

The muffins turned out beautiful - moist, fluffy (almost bouncy), and full of flavour. I was particularly happy with the streusel topping - it had a nice crunch, which was made possible by the xylitol. It certainly was a great improvement from my last crumble. Husband was extremely complimentary of these apple streusel muffins, deeming them the best baked goods I've made so far.