Muffin Monday Madness

I am so tired of not knowing what to do for breakfast. Sometimes it is harder for me than coming up with something to do for dinner. I was talking to my mom the other day and Muffin Monday Madness was born. I am going to try a new muffin recipe every monday. My first muffin actually turned out really great. I mixed a few recipes from Pinterest and my trusty better homes and garden cookbook. I hope you enjoy and try my apple cranberry vanilla muffins. 

The highlight of my morning was Lincoln playing with the oven mitt and his easter basket. He is totally obsessed with gloves and bags here lately. He is turning into his father :) 

Apple Cranberry Vanilla Muffins

prep time about 10-15 minutes. 

makes 12 muffins

preheat oven to 400

bake about 18-20 min. depending on your oven. It took closer to 20 minutes in mine. 

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup vanilla sugar ( see not at the bottom on how to make vanilla sugar)

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 beaten egg

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 small apple (peeled and chopped) * I chopped up 2 this morning and it was way to much.*

1/3 cup dried cranberries (at least I think it was 1/3, I just stuck my hand in the bag and pulled out a handful)

turbinado sugar (sprinkle on the top. gives it a nice crunch)

1. In a small bowl put your apple, cranberries, cinnamon and brown sugar. Mix together and set aside.

2. Grease or line with paper bake cups a 2 1/2-inch muffin pan. set aside

3. In a medium bowl combine flour, vanilla sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture: set aside

4. In another bowl combine egg, milk, oil and vanilla. 

5. Add the egg mix to the flour mix. It is very important not to over mix. The batter should still be a little lumpy. (An over-mixed muffin is a bad muffin)

6. Fold in the apple and cranberries.

7. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. I used a ice cream scope and they came out perfect. This is an easy way to make them all the same size. 

8. Bake at 400 for 18-20 min. pull them out when your house smells heavenly and they are golden brown. To be safe stick them with a tooth pick and if it comes out clean they are done. I get them out of the pan as soon as they come out because in my mind they continue to cook in the pan. So I go ahead and flop them out onto a wire rack and let cool for a few minutes. They are best served warm. 

**Vanilla sugar is so easy to make at home and is way to much of a spurge to buy from the store. All it takes is per 1 cup of regular sugar you add a vanilla bean. Scrap the paste out of the bean and drop it in the sugar. I always add the bean pod itself, it gives it a nice flavor. Shake it every few days and it is ready to use in 2 weeks. store in an air tight container and enjoy. **