Crisp Fall Mornings = Fresh Warm Muffins

We currently have a surplus of apples. One of our apple trees produced fruit this year, for the first time ever... great since the village wants to put a sidewalk in its place in a few years... that's a story for another day, but apples! So many apples! It was a very cool Sunday morning and I went for an early morning walk being woken twice by two different kids. Somewhere along the walk I decided we needed muffins. I got home and put the kids to work. Bronwyn peeled the apples, Nicholas but the crumb topping together. In no time we had muffins in the oven, quickly got ready for church. A little drizzle of icing and we had warm amazing muffins with fresh apples from our tree. The perfect fall treat.

Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins
Crumb Topping
1/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

Muffins
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk (any kind), at room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups peeled & chopped apples (1/2 inch chunks; you need about 2 medium apples)

Vanilla Icing (Optional but is it really?)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 Tablespoons heavy cream (or milk for a thinner consistency)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. You may need a 2nd pan as this recipe makes up to 14 muffins, though you can always bake in batches using 1 pan. Set aside. *See note about jumbo size & mini muffins.
Make the crumb topping: Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter, and then gently mix in the flour using a fork. Keep the mixture as large crumbles and do not over-mix. If over-mixed, this will turn into a thick paste. Set topping aside.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Make the muffins: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then turn up to high speed until the mixture is combined and mostly creamy. (It’s ok if it appears somewhat curdled.) Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the apples.
Spoon the batter evenly into each cup or liner, filling each all the way to the top. Spoon crumb topping on each, gently pressing it down so it sticks.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20-23 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and drizzle over warm or cooled muffins.
Iced or plain muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.