Apple Vanilla Mini Muffins With Cider Glaze Recipes

WHOLE WHEAT APPLE CIDER BRAN MINI MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray two 24-cup mini muffin tins with cooking spray.
• Place bran cereal in the bowl of a food processor; process until ground to a flour-like consistency. Transfer to a large bowl. Add flour, apple, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt; toss to combine.
• Mix together apple cider, applesauce, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to the apple cider mixture and gently mix until combined; batter will appear runny. Allow to rest while baking soda and apple cider cause batter to thicken and double in size, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Scoop a small amount of batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool before eating.

APPLE-VANILLA MINI MUFFINS WITH CIDER GLAZE

Steps:

• For the apple-vanilla muffins: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and center an oven rack. Line a mini-muffin tray with your favorite liners.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg together in a large bowl.
• Combine the sugar, butter and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 4 minutes, scraping as needed. Add the egg and beat until incorporated (don't worry if the batter curdles). Adjust to medium-low speed and alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream in batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Fold in the apples using a spatula.
• Grease a small ice-cream scoop (about 1 1/4 inches) with nonstick spray and fill the liners about 3/4 of the way to the top.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the muffins comes out clean and the tops spring back when touched, 10 to 12 minutes. Let rest in the hot muffin pan for 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
• For the cider glaze: Boil the cider with the cinnamon stick over medium-high heat until the cider is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Whisk in the honey and continue to boil until the liquid is syrupy and just coats the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick and remove from the heat. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar and transfer to a small bowl. Let sit until slightly set but still warm, about 3 minutes.
• Dip the tops of the muffins in the glaze and serve.

CIDER-GLAZED MINI APPLE MUFFINS

Steps:

• Make muffins:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. and grease twelve 1/8-cup mini-muffin cups (about 1 3/4 inches across top and 3/4 inch deep).
• Lightly toast walnuts and chop fine. Core and peel apple and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a saucepan melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Remove pan from heat. Whisk cider and egg into butter mixture until smooth and add to flour mixture, stirring until combined well. Stir in walnuts and apple. Divide batter among muffin cups and bake 15 minutes, or until golden.
• Make glaze while muffins are baking:
• In a 2-quart saucepan boil cider 15 minutes, or until reduced to about 1/2 cup, and pour through a sieve lined with 4 layers of cheesecloth to remove sediment. Return cider to cleaned pan and add sugar. Simmer mixture, stirring, until syrupy, about 5 minutes. While muffins are still warm, with a wooden pick make several holes in top of each muffin. Brush warm glaze over muffins several times until absorbed.