Apple-Oat Muffins with Brown-Sugar-Cinnamon Swirl

From: Shape magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp warm water
1 cup milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced 

Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray or use cupcake papers.

In a large bowl, combine both flours, oats, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves. Mix thoroughly with a fork, make a well in the center and set aside. In a small bowl, combine remaining teaspoon of cinnamon, along with brown sugar and water. Whisk until brown sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, applesauce, egg, oil and vanilla. Pour liquid mixture into center of dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Fold in diced apple.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups and then top each muffin with 1/4 teaspoon of the brown sugar-cinnamon mix. Using a toothpick, swirl the mixture gently into each muffin. Bake 12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I liked these yummy muffins. I did tell my mom I think I'd like them better without the diced apples, but that's just a texture preference. They are extremely moist and have a bouncy texture due to the applesauce in them, and I like that. They're very easy to make and have a great flavor. I definitely recommend this recipe.

Applesauce Pancakes

From: The Sisters Cafe

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 c flour
1 c milk
1 c applesauce
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Beat eggs until fluffy.  Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth.  Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat or to 375 degrees.  (To test griddle, sprinkle with a few drops of water.  If bubbles jump around, heat is just right.)  Grease griddle.  For each pancake, use slightly less than 1/4 cup batter.  Cook pancakes until bubbly on top and dry around the edges.  Turn to cook other sides until golden brown.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Okay, seriously such a good recipe. My kids usually want pancakes or waffles 4-6 times a week. I have a great homemade waffle recipe that I don't stray from, but I only have a couple of "okay" pancake recipes. This one is definitely a keeper. The applesauce makes these moist, and they are super thick and fluffy. And yes, you can add whatever you normally add - chocolate chips, bananas, blueberries, etc. Check out the link where I originally got the recipe from - the cinnamon syrup she adds looks amazing although I haven't tried it. And just in case you're wondering, these freeze beautifully. I make one huge batch every couple of weeks and freeze the leftovers.

Fruit Leather

Ingredients:
5-10 apples or pears
1/4-1/2 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon

Peel, core, and slice fruit. Place the slices in a 3-quart saucepan with water and cover. Simmer until fruit is tender and begins to appear translucent. Add cinnamon.

Remove from heat and zip through your food processor. Store in the refrigerator (if not making fruit leather same day). You can also mix in fruits like strawberries or peaches prior to cooking. Please note: you can stop here and have delicious pear sauce or applesauce!

Use one piece of aluminum foil to form a boat approximately 9x6 with sides 1" high. Place the foil boat on a shallow cookie sheet. Pour two cups of apple or pear sauce into the foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to 150 (or lowest setting) and cook for 8-10 hours.

Peel the fruit leather off and store it in the refrigerator.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Nothing.

What I'll do differently next time:
Stephen suggested leaving out the cinnamon because he doesn't like it. I couldn't taste it at all, so I guess next time I'll just exclude it. Also, next time I think I'm going to puree strawberries and mix them in with the sauce before cooking it. There's so many options with this recipe!

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! The reason I made this is because we are always buying Fruit by the Foot (at triple coupons of course). Even when I buy it on sale with coupons it's still costing much more than this recipe. With mom and dad's generosity, I made this recipe completely free. I got pears from their pear tree :) Even so I believe buying pears, apples, strawberries, peaches, etc. when they are in season and cheap it would save you buying snacks like that. And no added sugars - the fruit was definitely sweet enough on its own!