The morning began with a three hour power outage....a transformer exploded down the street. I had just started to heat up soup for school lunches. With an electric stove, that was no longer going to happen. Since Oregon mornings, especially this one, can be very dark and dreary.
With two kids holding flashlights, I whipped up some sandwiches last minute and off to school they went. I remained home in the dark contemplating what I would do with my already derailed day.
I ended up taking my 5 mile walk and thinking about what sinful treat I would bake, sometimes I wonder why I exercise. Honestly, why I would bake anything is beyond me when we have pounds of Halloween candy left. But whatever, these cupcakes are fabulous and worth every ounce of flab they will put on my bottom.
They truly do taste like caramel apples, minus the sour apple taste. They are fabulous and you must try them...soon. I'm seeing this on a Thanksgiving dessert buffet....yes I am.
Candied Apple Cupcakes
Adapted from Everyday
1-1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2-3 Granny Smith or Rome apples (about 1 pound), peeled and shredded
1-1/2 cups chewy caramel candies
1 Tablespoon heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350o F. Line a cupcake pan with baking liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Grate your apples to ensure you'll get apple with every bite of caramel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugars until smooth. Whisk in the oil and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined; stir in the apples.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan until almost full. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
In a small, microwavable bowl, combine the caramels and cream. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each one until caramel is melted and smooth. Dip cupcakes upside down into caramel and let cool.
Cathy is currently in the development stages of her vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a food writer for Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday living. She lives with her husband and two sons. You can visit her at noblepig.com.