These are easy Halloween or harvest treats. To decorate for a Halloween party, put a piece of candy corn or a plastic spider on top of each cupcake.

What You’ll Need: Makes 12 Cupcakes

•    2 cups sifted whole wheat pastry or unbleached white flour
•    1 teaspoon baking soda
•    1 large egg
•    1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
•    3/4 cup unsweetened apple butter
•    1/3 cup each: canola oil, reduced fat buttermilk
•    1 teaspoon vanilla
•    1 jar caramel sauce, at room temperature

What You’ll Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12-muffin pan (or two 6-muffin pans) with paper liners. Sift the flour into a 2-cup measuring cup until it overflows; then level off the excess flour with a knife. Put the baking soda into the cup with the flour and set aside.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg and sugar until creamy. Add the apple butter, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Slowly mix in the flour and baking soda just until blended.

3. Pour or ladle the batter into the muffin tins. Bake 20 minutes just until an inserted toothpick into a cupcakes center comes out clean. Don't over bake. Cool for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack or on top of the stove before frosting.

4. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place on a platter. If the caramel sauce is too thick to spread onto the cupcake, remove the lid and place the jar in a small sauce pan with 1-2 inches of water. Heat on low until the sauce starts to soften but isn’t runny. (If it gets too thin, just put the jar in the freezer for a few minutes.)

5. Frost the cupcakes with a dinner or butter knife; let harden for about 30 minutes before serving. The cupcakes will keep for about three days covered with foil. They can be frozen without the frosting.    

Tools:

•    Muffin tin(s)for 12 muffins
•    Paper muffin liners
•    Measuring cups, spoons
•    Flour sifter
•    Large mixing bowl
•    Electric mixer
•    Rubber spatula

By: Anne Vassal