Apple streusel muffins

One of my favorite food magazines is Seasons from Hy-Vee, an Iowa-based grocery store chain.  I used to pick up a copy of Seasons whenever I saw a new edition at Hy-Vee.  But then I figured out I could sign up to have the magazine delivered to my house -- for free!  No yearly subscription!

Like the name suggests, Seasons features recipes that are perfect for the season.  This month's issue offers Christmas baking and seafood recipes (which I can't wait to try for New Year's this year.)

As for the baking recipes, I had a few overripe apples in my refrigerator, so I decided to bake up a batch of the Baked Apple Crumble Muffins featured in the fall issue. The recipe was a little more complicated to make than the typical muffin recipe.  But I loved all the different spices, particularly the "heavy" (1/2 tsp.) dose of cloves.

My husband wasn't too excited when he saw these muffins cooling on the counter.  But he ended up loving them.  "I don't usually like muffins, but these were good," he said.  So I'm sharing the recipe with all of you.  Hope you enjoy it!

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Baked Apple Crumble Muffins (or Apple Streusel Muffins)

From Hy-Vee's Seasons magazine

Topping:

• 1/2 C. unsalted butter
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 1/4 C. plus 2 Tbls. packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1-1/3 C. flour
• 1/2 C. chopped walnuts

Muffins:

• 1-1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 C. vegetable oil
• 1/3 C. unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 C. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1 C. buttermilk
• 1-1/4 C. chopped walnuts
• 2-1/2 C. chopped apple

For topping: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove pan from the heat and add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir with a rubber scraper, pressing when necessary, until smooth.  Add flour and mix until well-blended and pasty.  Fold in chopped walnuts; set aside.

For muffins:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, oil, applesauce, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger.  Stir oil mixture into flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.  Stir in walnuts.  Fold in apples, mixing until just combined.  Spoon into greased standard-size muffin cups, filling almost full. Break up the topping mixture with your fingers into medium-size pieces.  Evenly sprinkle the topping pieces over the muffin batter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly touched. Yield: 18 muffins.