Apple Cinnamon Mini Muffins

I just love mini muffins. They mean I can have 2 or 3 muffins for the calories of one, which feels really good psychologically. (Look at me. I sound like a shrink or head case or something.) I needed a quick, easy and warm dessert last night when it was spitting snow outside, and had one lonely apple left in the fridge. There's nothing (in my mind, at least) like the smell of baked goods with cinnamon to make you feel warm, so here they are - a generic recipe altered to smell and taste wonderful!

APPLE CINNAMON MINI MUFFINS

1-3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup walnuts
1 apple, grated (with skin on)

Sift together the dry ingredients. Add the egg, milk and oil; stir until blended. Stir in the grated apple and walnuts. Spoon into greased mini muffin pans; sprinkle the top with just a touch of cinnamon sugar. Bake at 400 for 10 to 12 minutes; serve warm. Makes about 3 dozen.

I had half of these left after dessert; my husband took care of most of those in the morning, for breakfast. These are just the thing for lunch boxes, too! Kids don't even know they're eating something that might have healthy stuff in it!

By the way, this plate is sort of interesting. My mother-in-law had turquoise patterned melamine dishes in the late 50s, when my husband was a growing up, so "the kids wouldn't break them". Darling hubby dubbed those dishes "Ma's Blue Crapola". Later, in the late 60s, after he left home, he bought these plates, took the melamine and dumped them in the trash, telling her that if her kids were still breaking dishes at ages 12 to 24, she hadn't trained them properly. About 2 years ago, when she arrived at Thanksgiving with my sister-in-law's family, my nephew was lugging this big stinkin' box, containing service for 12 of the "replacement blue crapola". I certainly didn't need more dishes, but these are interesting, and sort of understated pretty, and I can never turn down free "kitchen crap".