Do you love apples? I sure do. And, if you’re attending one of our Taste of Home Cooking Schools this fall, you’re going to LOVE the apple recipe at the end of the show. Check the list of cooking schools and plan to attend one in your area. We’d love to meet you!

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins- Pieces of tender apples appear in every bite of these pretty muffins. The streusel topping is nicely seasoned with cinnamon and sugar.

In the meantime, I want to share a couple of my favorite apple recipes. The first one is an Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins recipe I’ve been making for years from a Taste of Home cookbook.

The muffins are so tender and delicious. I’m sure that its the sour cream in the muffin batter, along with the chopped apples, makes the muffins extra moist. When I’m in a rush I skip peeling the chopped apples, so feel free to do that if time is short.

Serve up Family Breakfast. I’ve used these muffins for family gatherings, because the recipe makes enough for 16. They are great served with other breakfast crowd-pleasers such as scrambled eggs and bacon or a breakfast casserole.

Chunky Apple Cake- This tender, moist cake is full of old-fashioned comfort, and the yummy brown sugar sauce makes it special. For a festive occasion, top with a dollop of whipped cream. —Debi Benson, Bakersfield, California

My second recipe is for Chunky Apple Cake.  I found this recipe a couple of years ago while browsing www.tasteofhome.com. I searched for “apples” and then ranked the recipes according to “Rating”.  The highest rated recipes popped to the top of the list.  The apple cake recipe caught my attention since it rated five stars – plus, I love dessert!

The cake makes the whole house smell like cinnamon and nutmeg. I use Granny Smith apples for this recipe, but you could use any tart baking apple. I cut back the amount of nutmeg to 1/2 teaspoon and increase the cinnamon to 2 teaspoons. It makes the nutmeg a little less prominent and suits our family’s taste.

Mouth-watering Butterscotch Sauce – The best part of the recipe is actually the Butterscotch Sauce you serve over the top. Oh my — it makes my mouth water! Serve the cake slightly warm with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream on the side and drizzle with sauce.

Sometimes I spoon the sauce over the top of the entire cake. Then, I cover it and refrigerate until serving time. You can place chilled pieces of cake in the microwave for a few seconds to warm for fresh baked taste at a moment’s notice.

I hope to see you at a cooking school this fall!

Karen Davis, Culinary Specialist, Taste of Home Cooking School