Applesauce muffins
Instructions:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/3 teaspoon ground cloves
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- Apple Cider Applesauce
or 1 1/2 cups store-bought applesauce - 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin and a 6-cup tin with paper liners. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves together into a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Put 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, the granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs, 1 at a time. On low speed, mix in the applesauce and then the flour mixture. Stir in the nuts by hand.
- Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the tins on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, in the clean bowl of the electric mixer, mix the cream cheese with the remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter and 1 cup brown sugar on medium speed until smooth. Spread the cream cheese frosting on the muffins. The muffins can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 2 days.