#FlashbackFriday – I’m so making these this year! I am not sure if I ever told you all before, but, I grew up in the country, on a farm right next door to one of my favorite places to go in the world, Apple Hill. I know, of all the places we have travelled, I pick Apple Hill, but, it’s true.
Apple Hill originally started out as “wine country” before several of the farmers started growing apples. I promise, as a kid, I only knew about the apples ~ they have just about every variety there is of an apple, a million different ways to bake/cook with apples, pumpkin patches and you can also go hike at a few farms to cut down your Christmas Tree.
In the fall, we would start out our day by visiting the Apple Café (for homemade apple butter and apple sausages!), then, we would head out to pick apples,pumpkins and finish with homemade caramel apples. The day after Thanksgiving, we would go to one of the Christmas Tree farms and my parents would let my brothers/sisters and I hike to pick out and cut down the perfect tree. We would finish with a cup of hot apple cider (that tastes just like biting into an apple) before heading home to decorate our tree and have homemade turkey noodle soup. I still look forward to going every year to pick apples, sometimes pumpkins and of course, to visit my parents because it’s where they lived.
The following days would involve me baking everything I could with all our apple finds including their famous Apple Cake Recipe that is super moist and packed with big chunks of fresh apples and walnuts.
These Apple Spice Mini Muffins are my healthy spin on that famous Apple Hill Cake. The cinnamon and nutmeg add just the right amount of spice as brown sugar caramelizes the crisp apples making each mini muffin bite taste just like you are biting into a slice of apple pie.
APPLE SPICE MINI MUFFINS (print it!)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 4 cups fresh apples, peeled, cored and diced
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 24 cup mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray.
2. Beat the brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Slowly add in the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour, beating just until combined. The batter will be pretty thick until you fold in the apples.
3. Spoon batter into muffin cups until 2/3’s full. Bake at 350° for 25-27 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool muffins in pan for a few minutes before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack.
Makes about 60 mini muffins, 2 SmartPoints or 1 points+ each
Nutritional information per mini muffin calculated at caloriecount.com
Another fun fact about me ~ My apple, corer, peeler, slicer was the very first kitchen gadget I bought. It looks a little freaky, but, it’s amazing and I’ve used it for years. I am sure the newer versions are a bit fancier than mine.
I used 4 types of apples from our apple picking, however, you can use any variety you like. I like firm, tart apples since the brown sugar adds a nice sweetness to the recipe.
This is how easy it is to slice 4 apples in minutes. Stick an apple on the end.
Crank the handle in circles and my apple slider does it all ~ peeling, coring, slicing. You could then hand dice your apples or simply toss them in the food processor and pulse them a few times to save time.
Deliciousness! Have you ever just wanted to bite into a slice of Apple Pie and have it only count as 2 SmartPoints? Here is your chance….take two, they are small (as The Husband says lol)
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
What was the first kitchen gadget you bought?
Happy Tuesday all! Too bad Biggest Loser is postponed one more week.
My first kitchen gadget has to be a mandolin which I bought when I was 14. We still use it, though I’m in the market for a new one.
Apple picking is a Quebec thing as well. As a child I can remember going to Saint Bruno and Saint Hyacinth to pick apples from the orchards the monks had planted so many decades before. Compote, jelly, pie, butter, baked… ah. memories.
I should go pick apples up the street. Ottawa has this amazing fruit and veggie farm that offers seasonal fare until the frost kills everything. Best part, they are a 15 minute car ride away from my place.
My first kitchen gadget was actually an antique that was handed down to me from my mother who got it from her mother. My mother gave this to me when I got married and I still use it to this day. It’s a meat grinder. I make homemade ham salad with it all the time. And I only use the cheapest bologna (this was the secret ingredient that my grandmother used to make her ham salad) and makes the best tasting ham salad ever!!!
My first Kitchen gadget is the same one as yours! Only my apple peeler has a suction and sticks on the counter..I like yours better!
Ha I bought a gadget that was crazy It scrambled eggs in the shell. It really worked, but I gave it as a gag gift.
Is that 1 1/4 cups of brown sugar correct? That seems like an awful lot of sugar. If that is correct, do you have any tips on possibly cutting down on the sugar? The recipe sounds yummy and I would love to try it, but we have some sugar issues in our home. š
Hi Nancy,
You could reduce the sugar by half and still be ok with this recipe as there is enough moisture from the apples to make up for the decrease in the dry sugar.
Danica
Thanks!!
wow! yum. I’m so on team apple in the fall!
Love that recipe Danica! I just bought 10 apples off my stores $1 rack, and they need to be used up – making these for sure!
I think the first thing I bought for myself was a dutch oven, now I have three, all have different purposes – I have one dedicated to bread making alone!
Hi, it keeps showing me this post as the latest post you have from Oct. 8th :/ Where have you been?? I have been refreshing but dont see anything else?
Hi Maria,
My life turned incredibly busy with work and personally, but, I am slowly making my way back now. Thanks for checking in on me…you should definitely be seeing some new posts soon.
Danica
Thanks for replying Danica!! I have missed you a lot and thrilled to have you back!
MISSING YOUR POSTS BUT AM ENJOYING CHECKING OUT THE ARCHIVES FOR AWESOME MEAL IDEAS!!! š HOPE ALL IS WELL!
This recipe looks delicious. Just wondering what kind of apples you would recommend.
Hi Judy,
I like using golden delicious or Granny Smith but any apple works.
Thanks,
Danica
How does the recipe change if using regular white flour? Thatās all I have right now and want to make STAT! Thx.
Hi Cat,
No change. Let me know what you think!
Thanks,
Danica