Fall Foods

Fall is definitely my favorite season of the year where we live here in the Midwest.  It's not too cool and not too warm. You don't have to use the "air" either in the car or in the house and you don't have to worry about shoveling snow.  My favorite grocery store currently has their canned pumpkin on sale, so I'm stocking up, since I make my pumpkin muffins, year round (it's still Lauren's #1 favorite)! Last night at Dominic's music therapy session, I gave his teacher a few pumpkin muffins.  Later on, she told me they were "delicious" - I think she liked them :)  Maybe they'll become her favorite kind of muffin too!

Fall also signals the beginning of apple picking season.  Apples are such a versatile fruit.  You can eat it as is, make into cobblers, pies, cakes, caramel apples - the ideas are endless.  Hmm, caramel apples ..... They are good, but boy are they messy!  How about if you took some caramels and some apples and baked them into a muffin??

These are super duper yummy - with none of the sticky mess! I gave a few to Dominic's bus driver on Tuesday afternoon and a dozen to Dominic's classroom yesterday. Let's just say, they were very popular!!  I usually use paper liners for muffins, but for this particular type of muffin, a foil liner is better.  Keep in mind, this recipe will make 18 muffins.  The best couple of bucks I spent a few years back was to get a second 12-cup muffin tin.  I have especially liked it when I have been making muffins or cupcakes late at night for some event the next day!!

Ingredients:

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup apple, peeled and shredded  (I used McIntosh)
12 caramels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill the muffin tins with foil liners.  Set aside.  In large bowl, put all the ingredients in the order given, except the caramels.  Using a large spoon, combine until just moistened.   Cut each caramel into four equal sized pieces with a sharp knife and "fold" into the batter.   Distribute batter evenly and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool for five minutes and then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.  Makes 18 muffins.