Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Happy October Everyone! Can you believe today is October 1st? I don't know about you, but to me it felt like September flew by. The weather is getting cooler and the days are getting shorter. This time of year makes me want to add warm cozy touches around the house. I've been adding splashes of fall decor here and there and was really enjoying the warm glowing colors. However when I was walking in our yard the other day, I simply couldn't resist clipping these beauties....

Many of our hydrangeas have started to fade and dry, but surprisingly there are also a few new buds on some of the plants, which I suppose can be attributed to the warm weather we had throughout much of September. Two of the plants had these gorgeous blue gems. The shrubs look varied and amazing, boasting everything from pretty drying pale flowers, to these vivid blooms in their prime, and even some small green young buds as well. The beauty and variety can't help but bring a smile to your face, especially in October. As much as I loved the depth of these blue hydrangeas, I felt like I should display them in one of the rooms where I hadn't added any fall touches yet, as I didn't think the color went with the warm autumnal shades I was using with the other seasonal decor. However, this morning I was reading some of my favorite blogs as I sipped a warm cup of coffee, and Kim from  Curtain Queen Creates, had a timely post that talked about using the color blue with fall decorating. She inspired me to branch out a little and expand the colors that I am incorporating into my autumnal decor. 

Even though the hydrangeas are still blooming, the fact remains that it is officially fall, and there is no better way to welcome in this fun season than to fill the house with the smells of some yummy home baked apple goodies. One of our autumn traditions has always been to go apple picking as a family. Some of my favorite photos from when our children were growing up are the ones we took on our outings to the local orchards. The day we went this year was a little overcast and the skies were a bit gray, but the scenery was as pretty as ever, the trees were bursting with apples, and the fun family activity still brought smiles to everyone's faces....

   

Over the past few days, I've had a great time baking some of the recipes I make annually with our freshly picked apples, but this morning I decided to try something new.  I'm happy to say that it was a hit with the family and is going to be added to the list of fall treats I bake each year. So, of course I wanted to share the recipe with you today.

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 medium apple, peeled and shredded

3 Tbsp finely chopped pecans

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal

1 Tbsp packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl stir together the flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. 

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Add in the buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Fold in the grated apple. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three fourths full.

In a small bowl combine the pecans, flaxseed meal, and 1 Tbsp of brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture over the muffin batter.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a  toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the muffin tins on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then remove the muffins. 

These are fabulous when they are served as a warm breakfast treat.