Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Let me start off by saying I absolutely can not believe that in just a few short days October will begin. The months are flying. In 2 weeks I will have been married for 7 months, which also means I've lived here at Fort Stewart for an entire 7 months as well. Now, I will admit these two weeks with my husband off at WLC has gone by slow, but only a few more days. I can stop my grandma-ness for a few days and enjoy him while he's home before I go back crocheting my life away! I've gotten 3 scarves finished in the last 5 days which was pretty impressive to me. Now, yesterday I decided to do a little deep cleaning. Towards the end of my cleaning frenzy I figured I would take Dixie outside. Since Dixie is such a good dog we always take her out without a leash, well apparently the neighbors had the same idea about their dog (which is our dog's male-puppy-twin!!). They thought it would be fun to go ahead and have a play-date together up and down the street, which equals both the furmamas chasing the dogs all around. Now, my feet are covered with big bug bites, my house is clean, and smells delicious! I keep hoping one day I'll walk outside and the weather will feel like it does in Nebraska, you know, like FALL! I have seriously lived in summer weather the entire 7 months I've been here, when does it stop!? So, with the air cranked, fans on high, I shall burn my fall/winter scented candles and pretend the leaves are blowing about outside and that I could walk outside in jeans and a sweatshirt and not pour sweat. These muffins basically follow the blueberry recipe, except a few things are different.




Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. butter (melted and cooled)
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

Filling:
1 apple (cored, peeled, and diced)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. brown sugar

Topping:
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. butter (softened)


Directions:
Grease muffin pan and preheat oven to 375F. Mix filling ingredients and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Using a masher, mash until apples are in small chunks. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs and sugar together. Add melted butter and oil until mixed well. Lastly, mix in buttermilk and vanilla. With a spatula, fold in egg mixture to dry mixture. Batter should be lumpy. Take an ice cream scoop and fill cups 1/3 of the way full. Take a tsp. of cooked apple mixture and set on top of muffin batter, top with another scoop of batter, the cups should be about 2/3 full. Mix together topping ingredients. Sprinkle over batter. Bake for 13 minutes. Allow to cool on cooling rack before removing from pan.