Cordelia's Apple Muffins

Muffins

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced

Topping

  • 2 Tbls brown sugar
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Cordelia Tucker (A Tailor-Made Bride) supplied Coventry's general store with fresh baked goods. Her bread and rolls were in great demand, but for those with a sweet tooth, her apple muffins were irresistible. She welcomes the heroine, Hannah Richards to town with a batch of these muffins in chapter 5.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-capacity muffin pan with cooking spray. Mix the topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk the ¾ cup brown sugar and oil until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add applesauce and vanilla.

Whisk in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, until combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling the cups nearly to the top. Sprinkle with the topping mixture. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove them from the pan to finish cooling.