Caramel Apple Muffins

Have you discovered these Kraft Caramel Bits yet?  I hate unwrapping caramels for recipes, so these are simply genius! The only bad thing about them is that since they are unwrapped, it is just too easy to keep popping them in your mouth.

I was looking for a new twist on apple muffins for Thanksgiving, so I did a Pinterest search for caramel apple muffins.  I came up with quite a few matches, and decided to use this recipe from My Recipes as my base, but instead of dipping the muffins in caramel after they were cooled, I just added some of the caramel bits into the batter.

The sour cream made these muffins moist and tender and that little bit of melted caramel inside adds just a touch of extra goodness.  You could definitely make them without the caramel bits and they would still be amazing.  I think next time I may play around with the topping - it may have needed a bit more flour.  The topping got a bit sticky and toffee-like, not sure if that was a good thing or a dare to lose a filling!

Caramel Apple Muffins

Topping:


1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (next time I will try 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 softened tablespoons butter

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Cut the butter in with a fork or pastry blender into small bits.  Set aside.


Muffins:


1 cup sour cream (8 ounces) - I used low fat
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups peeled and diced apples - I used Gala apples
3/4 cup Kraft Caramel Bits

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat sour cream. sugar, eggs, and vanilla for about a half minute or until blended.

3. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Slowly add into the wet mixture and beat until just blended. Stir in the chopped apples and the caramel bits.

4. Spoon 3/4 full into a muffin pan that has been greased with cooking spray.  (I was able to get a dozen full sized muffins and a dozen mini muffins out of this recipe.)  Sprinkle with the topping.  Bake for about 20 minutes for the full sized and 15 minutes for the minis, or until golden and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.  (I usually check them every 5 minutes once they start to brown to be sure!)

5. Remove immediately from the pan (the caramel can cause them to stick once cooled) and let cool on a baking rack.