Apple Strudel Muffins

        As a kid, I woke up most mornings to freshly-baked muffins. My mom was apparently Superwoman; as I can barely manage to pour myself a bowl of cereal most mornings until I have had a coffee or the clock strikes noon (we did have this in common, apparently, as my mother once said: "Without coffee, I see no reason to get up in the morning").
       One of the things I miss from my childhood (shhh, don't tell her I miss anything) is the fresh-baked muffins in the morning. I have resorted to making a batch on Sunday nights and simply warming them in the microwave on my way out the door. Its cheating, but it certainly does the trick. It also ensures the husband actually eats something (I kid you not, the man considers cereal too much effort in the morning).
      With fall well underway, apples are are delightfully fresh and in abundance (ie cheap). Hence, these apple strudel muffins. I have kept the original recipe, but highlighted my changes. The original recipe is about 275 calories (6 pts) per serving. This new recipe is about 160 calories (plus 6 grams fibre, 3 pts) per serving. The modified, healthier recipe is delicious, so I don't know that I will ever make the original recipe, but I have a feeling its B&B-worthy.

• Ingredients (makes 12 muffins):
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I did 1C flour + 1C wheat bran)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter (1/4C butter, 1/3C apple sauce)
• 1 cup white sugar (3/4C white or brown sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups chopped apples
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 
  
•  Streusel topping:
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• I added 3 tbsp oats

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla and applesauce. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.
4. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.
5. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Source: Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

Weight Watchers: 2.5 points as adapted, 6 points original recipe