Apple Strudel Muffins

One of DJ's current favorite movies is Over The Hedge. Weeknights, we spend in "school" learning letters, making crafts, and reading books. On weekends, he is allowed to pick one animation movie to watch. Many times, he'll pick Over The Hedge. It's a cute little movie about a pack of animals that learn that while they eat to live, humans live to eat. 
There is an adorable little clip (click here to watch it) that explains all of the things that food is to humans: how it's made, heated and cooled, right down to how it is thrown in a garbage can.  

How true it is - food really does affect our lives and moods. Regardless of whether I'm happy, sad, or the million things in between - I cook and bake. When I feel so frustrated that I think I'm going to blow my lid, I get myself in the kitchen to take it out on some baked goods. These muffins were a blow-off-the steam-and-give-me-my-cell-phone-and-five-minutes-of-peace-so-I-can-find-a-recipe-ASAP. Some people smoke, others drink, and some gamble - my get away is no further than my own kitchen. 


These muffins are great - and I especially love the strudel on top. After reading some of the reviews, I adapted the original recipe slightly based upon the suggestions of others. I split the sugar between brown and white. I added cinnamon to the batter as it was just originally in the strudel. Lastly, I added a few tablespoons of apple sauce. A wonderful balance of cinnamon, sugar, and apple make these muffins moist and delicious and made the house smell nice and cozy warm. All you need with smells like those are a big, comfy hoodie, hot chocolate or coffee, a movie, a blanket, and some snuggles - maybe with your favorite three-year-old. 
Enjoy! 

Ingredients

For the muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 heaping tablespoons applesauce

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup apples, half grated other half chopped

For the strudel:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugars and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon well to avoid sinking. Once blended, cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.

Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Source: Adapted from AllRecipes.com