Recipe: Apple Cupcakes with Maple Butter and Fresh Whipped Cream

I went apple picking last Saturday! It was a lot of fun but at first I wasn't sure what to do with the sheer quantity of apples I picked.
I finally decided on what to make with my apples. I settled on apple cupcakes because I've never made them before and I always enjoy a challenge and trying new things.  Frosting wise I decided to use the maple butter that I bought in Canada this summer and then I'll top that with a dollop of fresh whipped cream (yes, I know I'm obsessed with it... in fact I should probably have a blog that talks just about whipped cream).

mini cupcakes with maple butter and fresh whipped cream

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp fine salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (or ginger)
8 tbs unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 medium baking apples (I used a selection of apples from when I went apple picking this weekend)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. I made a tray of regular sized muffins and a tray of mini muffins. I had extra batter, so I also made 3 additional regular sized muffins.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Mix together to break up any lumps and put to the side.
In another bowl, mix the butter with a electric mixer on a medium-high speed for about 2 minutes.

apple batter!!

Add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until the mixture is smooth.  Add in the eggs one at a time. Mix until well blended for about a minute.
Line the muffin tins and then fill until about 3/4 full.  Tap the tin to make sure there are no air bubbles.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean or until the top is nicely golden. Rotate the pans about halfway through the baking time. My oven needed about a half hour for the cupcakes to be fully cooked.
Remove the cupcakes from the pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Oh my goodness... Just delicious!

10 Things to Do with Apples

It's that time again. Fall. Autumn. Apple season!!

Red, Orange, Gold, Yellow, Green. Leaves of every color. Apples on the trees too.  

So the only question is, what do you do with all of the apples you pick? Well, here are ten fun suggestions. 

1. Eat them straight up, fresh and delicious. My favorites to bite into are Gala, Honey Crisp, Fuji and Granny Smith (yes I know they're better for baking, I love to eat them anyway). 
2. Traditional Apple Pies. I would suggest Granny Smiths or Shizukis or Cortlands. You want a flavorful apple but nothing too sweet as the apples will get sweeter as they bake. The natural sugars come out.  
3. Apples with Pork.  The sweetness of apples cooked down with onions and a hint of salt really pair well with pork. 
4. Apple Cupcakes. I've never actually tried to make cupcakes with apples but why not? I'm going to make some shortly and I'll let you know how they come out and post a recipe. 
5. Caramel Apples.  Fall would not be complete without caramel apples. For a twist, try inside out caramel apples. Rather than coating the exterior of the apple with caramel, cut your apple in half and hollow it slightly by removing the seeds.  Fill with caramel and eat.  
6. An Apple Crisp or Streudel.  Yummy deliciousness right now.  You can use granola to make the apple crisp a little healthier. 
7. Stuff a chicken or turkey with an apple and also make some apple stuffing. The apple will keep your bird and stuffing moist and delicious. 
8. For a healthy twist, try making a salad with slices of crisp apple. For example, the ever classic Waldorf Salad. Apple is a nice refreshing addition to any salad. 
9. Make Apple Cider! Warning: It takes a lot of apples but it's totally worth it for the sweet, deliciousness that is my all time favorite drink.  
10. Last but not least, try apple fritters. Oh my goodness. So unhealthy but so delicious in all of it's fried glory.