Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple

Topping:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Review:
Very moist, sweet, and the flavors combined are perfect. Also, if you do not have the 1 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice, substitute: 1 1/2 t. cinnamon, 3/4 t. ginger, scant 1/2 t. allspice, scant 1/2 t. nutmeg. The streusel topping didn't work perfectly for me, it became too warm by the time I needed to put it on the top. So instead I just crumbled the sugar mixture on the top and when the muffins came out the crumble melted on top and came out with this yummy cinnamon crunch top.

Glazed Apple Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 rounded cup apples - peeled, cored and finely diced
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup milk

glaze-
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 tablespoons skim milk

Directions:
1. Beat butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and blend thoroughly.
2. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
3. Stir half the dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts, apple and raisins, then stir in remaining half of dry ingredients and milk. Mix well.
4. Drop from tablespoon 1 1/2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies to racks and while still warm, spread with glaze.
5. To make Glaze: Combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to make glaze of spreading consistency. Beat until smooth. Spread on warm cookies.

Review:
These are a soft cake-like cookie, perfect for a fall day. Full of flavor, yet not too overwhelming. A light glaze on the cookies is wonderful, but the cookies are sweet enough themselves so omitting it would not be a bad thing. I ended up with a lot of leftover glaze so you may want to cut the glaze recipe in half if you do decide to use it. :) got rave reviews from family members as well!

Gourmet Caramel Apples

Ingredients:
4 crisp apples, firm, unbruised
12 ozs. soft and fresh wrapped caramels
1 Tbsp. hot water
12 ozs. good-quality chocolate chips
About 1 c. chopped nuts

Directions:
1.Wash and dry apples well, and set out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This is especially important if the apples have been refrigerated; they must not be refrigerator cold when dipped.(or caramel will harden too quickly)
2. Insert wooden popcicle sticks into stem end of each apple. cover cookie sheet in parchment paper
3.Place caramels in saucepan and melt over low/medium heat until completely smooth
4. Dip apples into caramel until evenly coated(use spreading knife to coat sides) let excess drip and scrap off the extra on the bottom. place on pan. Refrigerate for about 20-3o minutes.
5. Melt chocolate on low heat, after completely melted take off heat and use spreading knife to cover apples completely. Quickly roll apples in chopped peanuts and lightly press in. Refrigerate until ready to serve.