Apple Cider Muffins with Brown Butter Glaze

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice weekend and enjoyed the first day of Fall. It was truly a perfect fall weekend here in Boston- the temperature was just right and the sun was out the whole weekend. If only the weather would stay like this all winter. My boyfriend and I went apple picking on Saturday and we could not have had a better day. We came home with two bags of apples, a pumpkin,  a box of apple cider donuts and some other goodies. I will be sharing more from our day at Cider Hill Farm later in the week. 

Sunday was a much more relaxing day, which is exactly what Sundays are meant for. A Patriots win and spending the afternoon with my parents were definitely the highlights of my day. In addition to eating one too many apple cider donuts, I also spent some time in the kitchen and finally did some apple  baking. It does not get much better than the smell of apples and cinnamon baking in the kitchen. First up were these Apple Cider Muffins with Brown Butter Glaze. The muffins themselves have great apple  flavor from three apple sources- diced fresh apples, applesauce and apple cider. They are also relatively healthy, using a combination of whole wheat pastry flour and old fashioned oats. The best part is that they are topped with a sweet brown butter glaze. Given my love of brown butter, the glaze was completely non-optional and the perfect complement to the apple cider muffins. 

Apple Cider Muffins with Brown Butter Glaze 

Recipe from Annie's Eats (originally adapted from How Sweet It is)

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold

2 crisp apples, peeled and diced

1/3 cup + 3 tbsp apple cider, divided

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

Glaze:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp apple cider

Heat the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Let the butter melt and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is brown in color. Be careful not to burn the butter. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool slightly. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside. 

Add the diced apples to a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the apple cider, 1/4 teaspoon of the ground cinnamon and the ground nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are slightly softened, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, allspice and salt. In another small bowl, combine the egg, brown sugar, vanilla extract, applesauce, remaining 1/3 cup apple cider and the cooled brown butter. Whisk to combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently fold until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the apples. 

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the tops are golden and set. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

To make the glaze, heat the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Let the butter melt and continue to cool, stirring occasionally, until the butter is brown in color. Remove the heat and allow to cool completely. Transfer the butter to a bowl and whisk in the powdered sugar. Whisk in the apple cider until the mixture is smooth. Spoon the glaze over the muffins and let set before serving.