by Coleen McCrea Katz (Havertown, PA, USA)

Ingredients:
• Nonstick spray
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon into measuring cup and level top)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon plus ½ tsp.
• 1/2 tsp. Allspice
• 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 cups applesauce
• 1/4 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• juice of 2 lemons, divided
• 4 large red delicious apple peeled and cored, finely diced
Cooking Instructions:
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 F. Lightly spray twelve 2-3/4 x 1-1/2-inch nonstick muffin cups with oil.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, mix apples pieces with juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of sugar, ½ tsp. of cinnamon, ½ tsp Allspice, and 1/2 tsp. of Nutmeg.
4. In another medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer set at high speed, beat the applesauce, sugar, egg, oil, vinegar 1 and juice of 1 lemon until frothy, about 2 minutes. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the applesauce mixture. Using a spoon, mix just until moistened (there should be a few traces of flour remaining).
5. Gently fold in the apple pieces until the flour is incorporated. Do not over mix. Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the tops spring back when pressed gently in the center, about 20 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool in the pan on a wire cake rack for 10 minutes before removing from the cups. Serve warm or cool completely on the rack.

Makes 16 to 18 muffins.