Applesauce Muffins with Dulce de Leche
I started this recipe in the form of Applesauce Cake from a Martha Stewart cookbook (that’s the only way I can stand her - on paper) - but they’re oh so much more cute as cupcakes with DL’s Dulce de Leche swirled on top.
Applesauce Muffins with Dulce de Leche
4 oz pecans toasted and chopped (optional)
1 cup (2 sticks) at room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/4 cups superfine sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce (or use less sugar, if sweetened)
2 3/4 cups plus 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 or 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 large apple or 2 pears, peeled and very thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 350.
1. Brush a 10-inch springform pan (or muffin tins) with butter. Coat with 1/4 cup superfine sugar, tap out any excess. (this gives it a nice, sugary-crisp crust on the edges!)
2. Mix the softened 1 cup butter and 2 cups superfine sugar until well blended, light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the applesauce and blend, but don’t overmix.
3. Sift 2 3/4 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, salt, baking powder
5. Fold the flour mixture and chopped pecans, if using, into the applesauce mixture. Add the vanilla and apple slices and mix until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the pan or muffin tins.
Topping options:
Martha Stewart suggests this: Combine 3 tbs butter, 3 tbs flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp tsp nutmeg, 1/4 cup light-brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp ground ginger. Mix until just combined and sprinkle lightly over the batter (after pouring it into the pans, of course).
What I did: after pouring the batter into the muffin tins, put a good dollop of DL’s dulce de leche on top. Swirl lightly with a fork. Bake.
For a 10-inch springform pan, bake 1 hour, 50 min. For muffins…uh…bake till they’re done. Cool completely before cutting and serving.
This cake tastes even better the next day when all the flavors have blended. Store it in the fridge, and microwave it briefly before eating.
August 10th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I have a question - what “vanilla” do you use? I went to the store and pondered whether to get imitation vanilla or vanilla extract.
August 10th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
samra, in the interest of keeping alcohol out of the diet, i use imitation for the most part. for fancier stuff, where the taste of vanilla really matters, i use Trader Joe’s non-alcoholic vanilla extract. There’s also a guy at the Raleigh Farmer’s Market who sells non-alcoholic flavoring extracts like vanilla, almond, and lemon.