{Muffin Monday} Apple Cinnamon Crumble

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/3 cup unsweetened, organic applesauce

Topping: (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook)

3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons of butter, chopped in and combined

Mix the muffin batter up and pour into THESE amazing things, which constitute THE {Muffin Monday} lesson of this week, and top with streusel. Bake at 400F for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Here I sing the praises of the silicone muffin cups.

1) Silicone muffin cups are sturdy and easy to pour into, or to drop batter in and wipe clean with a mini silicone spatula.

2) Muffins need very little coaxing to come out after they are cooled.

Silicone is non-stick and wiggling the sides gently or even turning it upside down allows gravity to tug just enough to get the muffin out, perfectly shaped (with pretty ridges on the sides, too). Usually, this step takes a long time with paper cups, depending on how much non-stick oil spray went onto paper cups. This way, no need for extra fat and oil or messiness from the spray! That’s a big plus for me.

Also, you don’t have to buy muffin paper or aluminum cups anymore. One $9.95 investment and you’re all set (if you don’t need to make more than 12 muffins all at once). The only potential small downside to using silicone muffin cups is that if you’re taking the muffins somewhere to share, you’ll have to pop them out yourself first if you don’t want to worry about tracking them down and ensuring that people don’t throw them away by mistake. But, as I mentioned, this part of the process is quick and easy anyway, so it shouldn’t be an issue.

3) The muffin cups are sturdy enough to stand on a cookie sheet all by themselves – no muffin pan required. If you do need to make more than 12 muffins, you can have 12 that are very easy to work with, and then have any extra in the usual method using a muffin tin sprayed down with non-stick spray.

4) They are so easy to clean. Rinse briefly and put into the dishwasher. I like to stack them sideways in the utensil part of the dishwasher, just in case, so there isn’t a risk of them falling through the shelves during the washing cycle.

I’m really happy with these (the muffin cups, and the muffins). Baking with whole wheat flour has not left me feeling lacking in any way, and I substitute it freely.

For recent {Muffin Monday} posts, click the photos on the left.