Apple Butter Muffins

by Thea Miller

Apple Butter Muffins

Easy and packed with fall flavor. Makes 12-15 muffins

Directions

Crumb topping
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons butter (at room temperature, softened)

Muffin Batter

1 cup sugar 
1 ¾ cups grams flour (about when measured correctly by scooping and leveling)
1 teaspoon kosher salt 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon 
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup Brennan's Apple Butter 
½ cup melted butter 
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Heat oven to 425F.  NOTE: you will reduce this temperature part way through baking.
Line muffin tins with paper liners or silicone liners.
Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and softened butter in a small bowl to form a sandy, lumpy mixture. Set aside while making the muffin batter.
In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together apple butter, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until no lumps remain.
Spoon batter into your prepared muffin tins. Fill tins about ⅔ full. (We like to use a cookie scoop to make sure all muffins are the same size).
Top each muffin with 1 or 2 teaspoons of the crumb topping.
Put muffins into the oven. Bake for 5 minutes at 425° F, then reduce the temperature to 375° F and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Transfer muffins to a wire cooling rack. Serve warm or let cool completely before storing.

adapted from life as a strawberry