Fresh Apple Cupcakes

   This past weekend the Mister and I went to Blue Ridge, Georgia to spend some time in the mountains.  We brought our doggies, stayed in a cute little cabin, hiked, canoed (in Ocoee, Tennessee), and enjoyed the cool, crisp fall weather.  Actually, I have to admit, I was freezing half the time... moving to Florida has made me a wimp!


   We basically stayed in the heartland of apple orchards so I was so excited to get fresh apples.  I miss apple picking back home in Connecticut so much!  

lol here's a funny picture so you can see how large 1/2 a bushel is
compared to 13 pound Khloe.  Poor thing!

   We ended up getting half a bushel (lol we're crazy!) of Crispin apples, better known as Mutsu apples in the south.  We also bought half a peck of Jonagold apples.  Mmmm.   


   So what to do with all these perfect baking apples?!  Make some cupcakes for starters!


     Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1 & 1/2 cups flour mix  (1c rice flour, 1/3c potato starch, 1/6c tapioca flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 small apples, peeled & grated
1/2 cup walnuts
12 chewy caramels


     Method
1)  Preheat oven to 350 F.


2)  Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.


3)  Whisk wet ingredients separately.


4)  Mix dry and wet ingredients together with spoon.


5)  Fold in grated apple and nuts.


6)  Spoon delicious batter into cupcake liners in muffin pan.


7)  Place caramel candy into center of each cupcake.

argh, another sideways picture!  

8)  Bake for 23 minutes.

9)  Cool and enjoy with or without frosting!  


   I opted to go all out and frost mine... I made a small batch of cinnamon buttercream.  So amazing.


     Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1 & 1/2 cups powder sugar
1 & 1/2 to 2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon


   Whip it all together with an electric mixer.  Simple and fast!

   These are amazing.  Perfect hint of fall flavors.





   I also want to add these adorable pictures of our babies... we took them on a 8 mile hike while in Georgia and they showed no signs of being tired or wanting to stop.  But this is what happened once we got to the car haha!

"Mom stop taking pictures already!"

Sleeping Beauty