Apple Oatmeal Muffins

I felt like baking over the weekend, and I'm sort of on a breakfast baking kick lately (i.e., buttermilk pancakes, biscotti and zucchini bread). So I decided to stick with that theme and whip up some muffins.

I'm also at that point during the summer where I am simply tired of the heat. Every time I go outside, I think, "Ugh. STILL hot." This happens toward the end of August each year.

For those who live back East, the best time of year is about to arrive -- fall. The air gets crisper, the leaves start to change, and pumpkin spice cappuccino hits the gas stations. But in Phoenix, it will still be hot into October.

So, I chose a muffin recipe that is reminiscent of fall. I'm hoping it will bring me a miracle: a cool September. I even used muffin wrappers with fall leaves all over them. That should do the trick, don't you think?

These are pretty tasty. They are light and fluffy, and the chunks of apples are refreshing and give the muffins a nice bite.


Ingredients
1 package white cake mix
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1-3/4 cups peeled and chopped apples (2 large apples)
1-1/3 cups milk
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oats, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir to blend. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, apples, milk and melted butter.

2. Add dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.


3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until set and golden.

Source: Duncan Hines' Cake Mix Magic

For the record, it is still hot. Record high temperatures and record low monsoon rainfall, in fact. Maybe it's time to bake a pumpkin pie?