apple butter crumb muffins

last month we took the boys apple picking. an hour and a couple meltdowns later, we left with about 30 pounds of apples. while a few were destined for other things, the overwhelming majority were processed into one of a few perfect foods - unsweetened apple sauce. i canned somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 pints, hopefully enough to last until next year. it's hard to keep this house in applesauce, with a toddler gobbling it up and his almost seven month old brother finally onto solid foods. 

midway through my applesauce making foray, i decided to sacrifice a few cups and turn it into apple butter. in our house, we enjoy jams and fruit butters a couple ways: slathered onto homemade scones, a top crackers spread with peanut butter, and mixed into muffins.

how could muffins, layered thick with homemade apple butter and pecan streusel be a bad thing?! they were delicious, perfect for me to make with my little sous chef and a great afternoon snack.

not a fan of - or all out of - apple butter? i bet these would be delicious with homemade strawberry or raspberry jam.

apple butter crumb muffins
adapted from tastes of lizzy t's
45min-1hr, makes 12 muffins

for the crumb:
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
4 tablespoons butter, very soft or melted

for the muffins:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
about 1 cup apple butter

for the glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
apple cider or milk

1. preheat your oven to 425F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. set aside.
2. make the crumb by mixing all of the ingredients together with a fork. set aside. 
3. in a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
4. in a large bowl, mix the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla. add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
5. spoon about a tablespoon of batter into the bottom of each muffin cup and use the back of a spoon to spread evenly. spoon about 2 teaspoons of apple butter in each muffin cup and spread evenly. divide the crumb mixture in half and divide one half evenly among the muffin cups. repeat with the remaining batter, apple butter, and end with the crumb mixture. 
6. bake for 5 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 375F and cook for another 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. cool muffins completely before topping with glaze.
7. to make the glaze, add a splash of liquid to the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. add the liquid, a 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until it is the desired consistency. top each muffin with about a tablespoon of glaze.