Fa La La Season

The holiday seasons bring out the warm and fuzzy in us all.  We show our thanks to family members, give love to friend and embrace each kind moment from a stranger.  For me it is the making of memories and those memories that are revisited each holiday season that make it special.  Surprisingly enough, certain smells and tastes are what trigger those memories. 

So, in honor of these flavor packed memories, this holiday season I will recount some of my favorite times and of course bring you the recipe that helps bring that memory back to life. 

To start….the smell of cooked apples just screams fall and also permeates memories of childhood, especially when put into the form of a baked good.  No, it’s actually not apple pie.  It’s a sweet little moist muffin bite that kicks with cinnamon, sugar and apples – Mom’s Applesauce Muffins.  She used to make these around the holidays and they would be the perfect after school snack or breakfast on the go but what made them so good it she always made them mini.  A challenge for someone who only has one mini muffin tin (me!), so for convenience I make an assortment of sizes but when I enjoy the applesauce muffin from the batch I have to choose the mini out of pure nostalgia.  Enjoy!

1 cup sugar

1cup applesauce

1/3 cup oil (canola or vegetable)

2 eggs

3 Tblsp milk

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp.salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg plus a dash or two more for extra flavor

3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine sugar, applesauce, oil, milk and eggs. Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Add to applesauce mixture and beat till well combined. Stir in nuts. Turn batter into greased muffin tins.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Cap loaf loosely with foil for last 30 mins to keep them from getting too brown. Muffins will take less time, maybe 30 to 40 check with a toothpick about halfway through.

A little tasty extra..You can make a brown sugar topping if you want extra sweetness to some of the muffins:

1/4 brown sugar , 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 pecans mix together and put on top before you bake!