Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffins
1 2/3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 Tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1 cup Pureed Pumpkin
1/2 cup Butter, Melted
2 whole Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten
1 whole Granny Smith Apple, Peeled, Cored, And Finely Chopped
* * * * * *
FOR PUMPKIN SUGAR CRUST:
3 Tbsps Sugar
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice* (See Tip Below To Make Your Own Spice Blend)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Combine pumpkin, butter, and eggs in another bowl and add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Fold in chopped apple and spoon into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full.

Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; sprinkle evenly over muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks.

*My tip: if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use the following combination:

1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves

Mix together and voila! You have the equivalent of 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.

Notes: Buy new baking powder and don't forget the baking soda! Seth came home and looked at the muffins and wondered why I had put them in the tupperware without baking them. Oops! They came out a little flat. I didn't have pumpkin pie spice so I winged it as far as the spices went...put in more cinnamon and a little ginger and nutmeg (not a huge fan of those). It only made a dozen and a half muffins and they were relatively small. Next time I'd probably double the recipe so the muffins were fuller and maybe sub in a little wheat flour. Overall the flavor was very good. Surprisingly they all went at Bible study :-)