Apple crumble cupcakes

Week 38. Bake 38.

As I have been driving to work this week I have seen a sign about PYO apples. And so as I was up at 7:30 this morning (I know, a totally shocking time on a Saturday morning) I decided to pop along. I presumed (as there was no website to check) that it would open at 9am, so driving along at 9:15am past the sign in my little car this morning I happened to notice it was 10am it opened. So instead of going to the outlet centre and spending money I don't have, I decided to go for a walk up Glastonbury Tor. And so I walked up the Tor, I actually over took someone and enjoyed the view over somerset in the early morning. I finally found the apple orchard and rolled my little car onto the farm and found out there were over 10 varieties of apples to choose from. I picked at least one of everything but put them all in the same bag so have no clue which apple is which variety. Anyway, by 11am I had been up Glastonbury Tor, had ran into some children from my school, picked 6.5kg of apples and was back at home with a cuppa.

So this weeks back is again to celebrate autumn. I love autumn and this week has definitely felt like it!

Ingredients: (makes 6)

• 90g of plain flour
• 10g of corn flour
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of baking soda
• 3/4 tsp of baking powder
• 1 egg
• 90g of caster sugar
• 3/4 tsp of vanilla essence
• 60ml of milk
• splash of lemon juice
• 60ml of vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 apple
• splash of apple juice
• 75g of unsalted butter (for the icing)
  
• icing sugar
• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon (for the icing)
• 100g of plain flour
• 50g of butter
• 25g of sugar
• a sprinkle of brown sugar

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c.
2. In a bowl sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a jug measure out the milk and add some lemon juice and leave for five minutes.
   
4. Now, in a separate bowl, beat the egg with a whisk and then add in the sugar and beat.
5. Add in the vanilla essence and the vegetable oil and beat.
6. Now beat in a third of the flour mixture, then a third of the milk and keep alternating between the two until it is incorporated.
7. Divide the mixture into the cupcake cases, they need to be about 3/4 full.
   
8. Now bake for 15-20 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, peel and core the apple and chop into chunks. Put in some water and the apple juice and stew until the apple is soft.
10. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
    
11. Now make the crumble mix, rub the butter into the flour then add in the sugar. Put in a baking dish and sprinkle some brown sugar over the top then bake in the oven until golden brown.
    
12. Make the icing by beating butter and icing sugar together with 1/4 of a teaspoon of cinnamon (add more if you like, but I like mine to be subtle).
    
13. It is now time to assemble your cupcakes.
    
14. Cut the core out of the cupcakes and fill with the stewed apple.
    
15. Pipe the icing over the cupcake into a swirl.
    
16. Now break up the crumble topping and sprinkle over the top of the cupcake.
    
17. Finally dust the cupcake with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
    
18. And eat with a cuppa (because everything is better with a cuppa)