Apple Pie A La Mode Cupcakes

Dare I start this post off saying that I never ever want to see another apple for as long as I live???! I had the opportunity to organize a "Meet the Teacher Night" for the children's Sunday school at church. We, of course, chose an apple theme for all of our goodies. I was in charge of cupcakes and cookies. Knowing me, I couldn't just show up with any ordinary apple cupcake. It had to be splendidly spectacular! Now think...apples...what is better than warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream plopped on top?! That's it! It had to be done, and done it was. So, one hundred cupcakes, one hundred cookies and a full day in the kitchen later, viola!

Oh, and I can't forget to mention that I had an extra special and extra excited "Mommy's Little Helper" in the kitchen today. Please, no one tell her that she isn't really all that helpful. Haha! Well, except for the comic relief.

Apple Pie A La Mode Cupcakes

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (8 tablespoons), melted

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup applesauce, unsweetened

apple pie filling (recipe follows)
vanilla frosting (recipe follows)

crumb topping (recipe follows)

favorite caramel syrup for drizzling

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill cupcake pan with liners.

2. In a large bowl beat together melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.

3. In a separate smaller bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt.

4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until blended. Stir in the applesauce until completely blended.

5. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 18 minutes. Rotate and bake an additional 3-5 minutes until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.

6. Cool cupcakes in pan for 10 minutes and transfer to wire rack.

 

 

7. Once cupcakes are completely cool use an apple corer to core out middles of cupcakes (about 2/3 down). If you do not have an apple corer, simply cut out a dime size dome from the center of the cupcake about a half inch deep.

8. Fill cupcakes with apple pie filling.

 

 

9. Using a small cookie scooper, scoop a generous dollop of frosting over pie filling.

10. Drizzle with caramel syrup.

11. Sprinkle crumb topping over all.

12. Enjoy and try to eat only one!

 

 

Apple Pie Filling:

7 peeled and finely chopped granny smith apples

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

 

Mix chopped apples and lemon juice together. Add additional ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into an 8X8 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes. Let sit until cooled.

 

Vanilla Frosting:

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature (12 tablespoons)

4 1/2 cups powder sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla

1/2 cup milk

 

In a large bowl, beat the butter until light. Add 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar. Beat until incorporated. Add salt, vanilla and milk. Beat until combined. Add in remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add more sugar or milk depending on preferred consistency (more sugar to make thicker or more milk to thin out).

 

 

Cinnamon Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter

 

Stir together flour, sugar and cinnamon. With a pastry blender or a fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Spread mixture on cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.