Applesauce Raisin Muffins

Muffins are one of the greatest inventions ever. They work as dessert, they work for breakfast, they're a great midday snack. Best of all, once you have found a basic muffin recipe, the variations are endless. Last night, I decided that muffins would suit me well for dessert; I had a very small amount of applesauce left in the fridge, and my inspiration began

APPLESAUCE RAISIN NUT MUFFINS

1-3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup raisins
1/8 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients, including the applesauce, all at once, and stir until just combined. Stir in the raisins and nuts, and spoon into greased muffin pans. Bake at 400F for 12 to 15 minutes for mini muffins, or 18 to 20 minutes for large muffins. Let them cool slightly, and top with a glaze of 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 to 2 tbsp milk or cream, and a shake or 2 of cinnamon, if desired. Of course, I made mini muffins, since I can eat more of them, and this recipe made 24 generous muffins.
My guys agreed with me that muffins were just the right thing for last night's dessert, and they continued to agree with me as they devoured the remainder late this morning.

The new picture on my header is what my yard looked like on Friday, the first day of Spring. As you can see, I'm waiting for some green to arrive. The blue spruce tree right in the center foreground of the picture was a gift to my dearly beloved from our oldest son in 1998. It was under 3 feet tall, and it makes me smile to see how it's grown. This is the first time in my life I've lived anywhere for more than 5 years, and I love knowing every little thing about my big old house and yard.