I had every intention of making my first ever prune muffins this week, but I got sidetracked by some incredible looking apple cider ones instead. Really, it wasn’t my fault. Once you see these things, you’ll understand why. They taste just like those apple sugar donuts that you can get at the apple orchard right after picking a big bushel of apples.
The Recipe
This recipe calls for apple cider reduction, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar. Lots of sugar. I suppose you could call these sugar apple muffins as opposed to apple cider muffins.
This isn’t a difficult recipe to put together at all. It takes only a few steps. Once you’re done though, you’ll end up with a muffin that tastes like a deep fried doughnut. Really. It’s crazy. There’s just the right amount of flavor and sweetness and there’s even that stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth effect you get after trying to eat an entire muffin in two bites. I suggest you drink a glass of milk while eating one of these. Either that, or dice up some apples and include them in the batter for moisture. But then again, that’s what apple cake is for.
The Recipe
Makes: 12 Muffins
For the Muffins
2 Cups Apple Cider
1 Stick Butter (Room Temperature) + Some for Pan
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 Cups Flour
1 1/4 Teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
For the Topping
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
4 Tablespoons Butter (Melted)
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank New England Today for this recipe. I started following this magazine a few weeks ago on social media and I have to tell you that they have shared some incredible looking dishes. I decided to nab this one because I just couldn’t let it pass me by. I’m definitely looking forward to more like this in the future.
Pre-Heat Oven
Arrange your oven racks so one of them is in the center position. Then, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Reduce the Apple Cider
Pour the apple cider into a medium sized saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Then, once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the cider is reduced by half. You should be left with one cup. When you are, remove the pan from the heat and let the cider cool.
Mix Butter & Sugar
Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Be sure the butter is at room temperature and fairly soft. Then, mix both of these ingredients for about five minutes or until they are thoroughly combined. You’ll likely have to clear the mixing blade once or twice during this process.
After that, add in the eggs and vanilla. Continue to mix for another few minutes or until these ingredients are completely combined.
Mix Dry Ingredients
Next, combine the muffin flour, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix all these ingredients together well.
Add Dry Ingredients to Mixer
Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the sugar and butter mixture in it. Then, turn the mixer on for about a minute to combine these ingredients. Add half of the apple cider reduction and mix again. After that, add in the rest of the dry ingredients and mix for another minute or so. Finally, add in the rest of the apple cider and mix for a minute or until these ingredients are completely combined.
Add Batter to Pan & Bake
Butter a muffin pan and then divide the batter between each cup.
Then, place the tray into the oven for 17 minutes. Keep an eye on things for those last few minutes. You don’t want the muffin tops to get too dark. After 15 minutes, begin checking the centers with a toothpick and once the toothpick comes out clean, turn off the heat, remove the tray and let it cool down for a bit.
Make the Topping
First, combine the sugar and the cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.
Then, melt the butter in a small bowl. Using a brush, brush some butter on the sides and top of a muffin. After that, roll that muffin around in the sugar/cinnamon mixture to coat. This is what you should end up with.
Continue the process for the remaining muffins and after that, you’ll be finished. Put all the muffins on a plate and enjoy! Personally, I would eat one right then and there, but that’s just me.
The Final Apple Muffins
I really want one of these muffins right now, but I promised myself that I’d only eat one a day. So, I’ll have to wait until tomorrow morning. Anyway, enjoy these special treats and if you do decide to give the recipe a try, please let me know your thoughts down in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!
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