Applesauce Spice Muffins with Citrus Glaze

Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray three 12 serving mini muffin trays or one regular 12 serving muffin tray generously with non-stick baking spray.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla, and beat for about 30 seconds more.

Stir in the flour mixture, using a large spoon instead of the mixer so your muffins won’t get tough. Finally, fold in the applesauce, raisins and nuts (if you use them—I didn’t).

Scoop dough into the muffin cups, filling each well about three-quarters of the way up. I find an ice cream scoop to be very handy for this. Bake for 13-15 minutes for mini muffins or 22-25 minutes for normal size, until tops are light golden brown and muffins are firm to the touch. Remove pan(s) from oven and set on a rack. Allow muffins to cool in the pans for about 5 minutes.

While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze by stirring the juice and powdered sugar together in a small bowl until smooth and no lumps remain.

Turn the warm muffins out of the pan. Holding upside down, dip each muffin top into the glaze, then place right side up on a cooling rack. Serve warm (the best) or at room temperature (still awesome) the day they are made.

Lightly adapted from “Brunch” by Marc Meyer and Peter Meehan.