Spice Muffins with Apple Butter Filling

I do as much as possible the night before to get ready for the morning, we are kind of having an issue about this at my house.  I am always running late and it drives my husband crazy.  So, I try to make my lunch the night before, I have my clothes picked out and ready for the week, I set up the coffee so all I have to do is pour the water in and hit the start button.  I try really hard, but then I start reading...

So the other morning, I stumbled downstairs, started the coffee, built the fire and poured myself my first cup.  I love strong coffee so I try to get the first cup out of the pot before it is diluted too much.  I took a sip, eechhhh!  It tasted like dish water (I don't really know what dish water tastes like, but I imagine it tastes like that coffee I just drank).  I checked the coffee pot and I realized I hadn't put fresh coffee grounds in the coffee basket the night before.  I had washed the coffee pot, filled the pitcher with water, but forgot to toss the old grounds and grind new one.  Yeck!

I dumped the "coffee", ground some fresh beans, refilled the coffee pot and waited for it to brew.  I had a little extra time, so I started the oven and threw these together.  They were delicious with my second cup of real coffee, and Dave wasn't too mad about me reading a little too long that morning.  You can't be irritated with your wife while you are eating one of these muffins.

Spice Muffins with Apple Butter Filling
recipe adapted from my Muffin Box

Whisk together in bowl #1
1 3/4 cups unsifted flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Mix in bowl #2
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup melted shortening
3/4 cup applesauce

About 16 Tbsp. apple butter, homemade or storebought.

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease cups well.

Add liquid ingredients from bowl #2 to dry ingredients in bowl #1 and stir until just blended.  Fill muffin cups 1/2 full, top with a tablespoon of apple butter, top with more muffin batter to fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and covering apple butter.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.

1 year ago:  Bar-B-Que Ribs
2 years ago: Caramel Sauce

November 20, 2013   Daylight 5 hrs, 42 min, 48 sec.    Temp. H -16 /L -21  °F