Mini Applesauce Muffins

Time to use up that big jar of applesauce that I've bought since May! Stay tuned for an abundance of applesauce bakes to come. Here's the first of many: mini applesauce muffins dipped and rolled post bake for a delicious sweet cinnamon sugar topping! These muffins are very moist and soft fresh from the oven and overnight. They are fluffy and light without the grease thanks to the applesauce.

Mini Applesauce Muffins
recipe adapted from lil`luna
makes 24 mini muffins

¼ cup unsalted

butter, softened
⅓ cup sugar (*used a little less)
1 eggs
½ cup applesauce
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

step 2- mixture curdled

ready to spoon into pan

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar until well combined. Fold in egg and applesauce.
3. Combine the rest of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix. Add this to the wet ingredients and mix well.
4. Spoon batter into greased mini muffin pan. Fill each ⅔ full. Bake for 11-13 minutes.

5. Let cool for a bit.
6. In a separate bowl, combined sugar and cinnamon. Also, melt butter in another bowl.
7. Dip muffins into melted butter and then into the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Eat.

The resulting muffins are tasty. However, the curdling and separation of the mixture in step 2 confused me. I whisked the egg in first and everything was fine until I dumped the applesauce. This was probably due to the cold applesauce and/or the large amount of applesauce I dumped in at once.**

Personally, I love crunch (read: muffins with higher fat and sugar content). But these will definitely please any soft and moist muffins lovers. And the cinnamon sugar topping did add a slightly crispness to the bite (& a nice brown top).

There was a hint of apple coming from the applesauce which I think paired well with the cinnamon sugar topping. The sweetness is good for most, but to me.. sugar can be lowered a bit to lessen the guilt(:

Next time:

• Reduce sugar to 1/4 cup
• Let applesauce get to room temperature and add slowly to butter/sugar/egg mixture.**
• Add 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Incorporate some real apple chunks?

Taste: 4 stars out of 5

Subtle apple taste.

Texture: 5 stars out of 5

Moist and soft. No greasiness.