Years ago, there was a surplus of apples in my house, and my sister and I decided to have a baking venture with them. We explored different options, landing on muffins. We then devised a clever mix of ingredients for a delicious apple streusel muffin. However, since my sister left for college, we couldn’t make this yearly treat during peak apple season. To make up for this, every winter break when she returns home, I present a tray of lined muffins. The moment she opens our front door, she can smell the exquisite aroma of apples and cinnamon wafting throughout our home. 

The buttery clash between apple and cinnamon creates an epic explosion of flavors with my family’s apple streusel muffin recipe. These warm and fluffy treats perfectly combat the cold and dry Dallas weather during the late fall and winter seasons. To complement the cinnamon streusel topping, changing the oven temperature after about 5 minutes creates a crunchy exterior with a fluffy center. Additionally, the harmonious balance between dense and soft texture due to the perfect amount of butter allows the crunchy apple bits to shine through.

You know that disappointing feeling when biting into a cookie and not tasting any sweet chocolate chips? With these muffins, the sweet ratio of cubes to batter will never remind you of that harrowing experience. Lastly, the grounded warming spices such as cloves, ginger, and nutmeg speckled throughout allow for a beautiful center.

Ingredients:

For the cinnamon streusel topping:

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 ½  Tbsp organic cane sugar
• 1/3 cup (packed) light or dark brown sugar
• 5 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

For the apple muffins:

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp ground cloves

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter

• 2 large eggs 

• 1 cup organic cane sugar

• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 2 medium apples peeled and diced   

Instructions 

1. Make the cinnamon streusel by whisking together  flour, brown sugar, cane sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
2. Slowly add in melted butter and stir until crumbs form, if too large crumbs form break them up with your hands, and set aside.
3. Set your oven to 425℉. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick baking spray or line with paper cups.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set this aside.
5. In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy for about two minutes. Add the eggs slowly one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in the vanilla.
6. Add the dry ingredients and chopped apples to the wet mixture. Use a spatula to gently mix until everything is just combined but don’t overmix 
7. Divide the batter evenly between the cups and sprinkle with streusel topping.
8. Start baking at 425℉ for 5 minutes, then lower the oven to 350℉ and bake for another 12–15 minutes for the crunchy exterior.  The muffins are ready when a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.