Mini Applesauce Muffins

These miniature muffins are quite possibly my favorite autumn treat. My mom made them frequently when I was a kid, and they were always such a delight on a crisp fall day. Pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, and you have the perfect afternoon snack. The best news? Any of my mom's recipes will be quick, simple, and foolproof - Mom didn't like to mess around in the kitchen with 5 little mouths to feed, so recipes had to be sensible in her book.

Time to pop open a jar of applesauce and get baking!

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Mini Applesauce Muffins

• 1 cup butter (softened)
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups warmed applesauce 
• powdered sugar (for dusting)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix everything together. I like to use a stand mixer, but for anyone needing a good arm workout feel free to use a bowl and spoon.

Grease 2 mini muffin pans (you can fit 2 pans in the oven at once, so might as well save some time). Pour a generous heap of muffin mix into each cup (a little over 3/4 full). Check at 10-12 minutes, then bake longer if necessary. Muffins should be somewhat browned on top. Allow muffins to cool slightly, then remove from the pan.

When muffins have completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

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Make sure to store these out of reach, because little hands love to steal the muffin morsels when your back is turned. And don't forget to share with your friends/book club.