Upside-Down Caramel Apple Muffins 

Melissa Clark’s Upside-Down Caramel-Apple Muffins are so delicious that you might hesitate to call them muffins. Really they are individual upside-down cakes adorned with a deep golden glaze of apple perfection. The muffin part is light, moist and worthy of eating alone, but the sticky apple intensity of the fruit top elevates them well above the rank of lowly muffin. I suggested renaming them cupcakes to John who immediately nixed the idea because he, “hates cupcakes even more than muffins”. I did notice, however, that he had no trouble eating them so they most certainly are misnamed. The recipe calls for generic “apples”, but Duchess apples shine in this recipe, getting tender without losing their shape and providing just the right amount of tartness to balance the sweetness of the brown sugar. Serve them for breakfast, an elegant afternoon tea or dessert and call them whatever seems appropriate for the occasion.

Ingredients:

For the Apple Topping

  • 1.5 pound apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4” thick (approximately 7 Duchess apples)

  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

  • 8 Tbs unsalted butter

  • pinch kosher salt

  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For the Muffins

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar

  • 1 Tbs baking powder

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

  • 8 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 3/4 cup sour cream

  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Generously grease a 12-cup muffin tin. (12 pyrex custard cups placed on a baking sheet work well so you can invert them one at a time in order to keep the apple topping in place.)

  2. Melt 8 Tbs butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the apples and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, til the apples are tender but not saucy - about 15-18 minutes.

  3. Divide the apples into 12 portions, and add to the muffin cups. Sprinkle walnuts on top.

  4. To make the muffins, whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt.

  5. In a separate bowl whisk together the melted butter, eggs, sour cream and vanilla.

  6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and fold together until smooth. The batter will be fairly dry.

  7. Spoon the batter over the apples. Bake until the muffins are slightly puffed - 20-22 minutes.

  8. Cool the muffins partly in the pan. Invert onto a platter or individual plates. Serve warm or at room temperature.