We love fruits at our home.  So much that whenever we see a good deal, we stock up.  I mean, Y2K stocking up.  Raid the grocery store of all the prettiest apples, peach, pears, etc; go home and lock ourselves up with our groceries and wait for the end of the world to pass.  Well, the first half of that was true.  We still live our lives normally.  I promise.

The only thing is that we can only eat so many fruits a day, so we always get left with those apples that go soft and at that point, who wants to eat that?  Well, I couldn’t let it go to waste (and I’m not that fond of apple sauce) so I decided to bake up some apple streusel muffins.  One word:  YUMMY!  And the best part is that they’re super easy.  I would say they’re  fail proof, but I don’t want to get angry emails about how I mislead people into thinking they could let their 4 year old kid and their dog bake the muffins.  (Although, they probably could… just saying)

Apple Streusel Muffins

Time:  1 hour total

Difficulty:  Are you kidding me?

Servings:  Makes about 18 Small Muffins

Here’s what you need:

• 1 chopped apple
• 1 shredded apple
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

For Streusel Topping:

• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp butter

What you need to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Place baking cups into cupcake tray.
2. In a small bowl, combine apples and white sugar.
3. In a large bowl, combine all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Mix in the apples and sugar mixture and combine until the batter is thoroughly mixed.  (Be careful not too mix it too much, that creates bubbles in the batter.)
5. Scoop batter into the baking cups and it fill it 3/4 full.
6. To make streusel topping:  in a small bowl, combine brown sugar, all purpose flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Cut the butter into the mixture to create a course texture.
7. Sprinkle streusel topping onto the prepared batter in cups.
8. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer is inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it.

Being that it’s the Friday before Labor Day Weekend, I felt it would be appropriate to do a piece partly about entertaining and well, beer.  I’ve recently become accustomed to the taste of beer (I’ve only been 21 for a little less than a year now..) and I’m starting to crave the cold bubbles dancing on my taste buds following a bite of warm and gooey pizza.  Ah, the joys of fine and healthy dining.

That’s already a great combo but add this glassware from Z Gallerie into the mix, and we officially have a nice party going.  As well as a conversation piece.  Entertaining couldn’t be easier.

Need it?  It’s the Hopside Down Beer Glass, $21.95 at Z Gallerie.