Happy Halloween from Sea and the DH! This year we went to an early Halloween Party as Tinkerbell and a dashing Spartan warrior. We were accompanied by an Australian rugby hero and an American cheerleader, as well as an elegant Angel and the Grim Reaper. I just love Halloween.
This recipe doesn’t have any especially traditional Halloween ingredients, although apple cider is something I associate with Fall, but they are so tasty I thought they’d be the perfect treat for my boo-tiful readers. I was first inspired to experiment with apple cider when I read an apple cider donut recipe. However, it was a healthy recipe for a spicy cider muffin that finally pushed me to the edge and got me to play in the kitchen. I thought an apple cider muffin with streusel sounded great, but wouldn’t an apple cider muffin with cinnamon spiked caramelized apples be even better? Once I made the recipe gluten free and adjusted the seasonings, I tried it with apple pie filling in the base. It was delicious, but the apples were difficult to remove from the muffin tin. Then I tried it with apple pie filling and walnut streusel on top of the muffin. It was easier to take out of the tin, but a little hard to eat. Finally, I tried it with apple pie filling in the middle of the muffin, and that turned out to be JUST RIGHT. DH said that he couldn’t tell they were gluten-free, and that they were Yummy (with a capital Y). I totally agree. I could have these super-special Fall inspired muffins every day.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
|
Gluten-Free Mulled Apple Cider Muffins
|
||
Ingredients
Streusel:
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar 3 tbsp. brown rice flour 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon butter, diced 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts Apple Pie Base: 2/3 cup brown rice flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a regular 12 muffin tin with cooking spray.
Heat a nonstick pan on medium and melt your butter. Just as it starts to brown, throw in your apples and sprinkle them with optional lemon peel. Let them begin to brown, and then turn and add lemon juice and vanilla. As the second side browns, add your brown sugar and cinnamon and turn one more time. Let apples become soft and move to side of the pan. Throw in the walnuts for your strudel to the empty part of the pan and let them brown lightly, turning once and then taking everything off the burner. Don’t mix the apples and walnut together! In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients for your muffin from brown rice flour to the nutmeg. Whisk together to combine. Put your egg and brown sugar in a small to medium bowl and whisk together. Add applesauce, honey, apple cider, yogurt and oil together and whisk until combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour your combined liquid ingredients into the well, making sure to leave a few teaspoons of liquid in the small to medium bowl. Fold in your liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Quickly place the streusel ingredients into the small to medium bowl and combine everything together with your fingers. Don’t forget the toasted walnuts from your nonstick pan! (Leave the apple pie filling in the pan!) Assemble your muffins by putting a small layer of batter in the muffin tin. Then put a layer of the apple pie filling over the batter. Cover it with a layer of batter. Then sprinkle the streusel generously on top of each muffin. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until muffins are a nice golden brown and separate easily from the muffin tin. Leave them in the muffin tin for a few minutes or separate muffins from the pan gently with a butter knife. Put on a wire rack to cool.
Notes
The most awesome muffins ever. DH said you can’t tell at all that they are gluten-free. All I know is that I want them for breakfast every day from now on!
|
||
|
