Spiced Apple & Pear Muffins with Caramel Topping

Have some extra pears or apples laying around, have both laying around? These muffins are a delicious and healthy way to put them to good use. You can use either pears or apples or a combination of the two, any variety of the fruit will work, so use your favorites. I've attempted to make this as healthy as possible, but if you're looking to be even more health conscious, exchange the flour for wheat flour and leave off the caramel topping.

I'm sad to say, Aidan picked around all the pieces of the fruit (but of course licked the caramel off every little inch), thankfully my twin hoovers were not so picky and ate it right up.

Spiced Apple & Pear Muffins with Caramel Topping

½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
¾ cup apple sauce
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 cups pears/apples/both, raw peeled & diced
- (I recommend dicing very, very tiny)

Caramel Topping
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tbs milk
4 Tbs butter

Heat oven to 350°. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, apple sauce, and vanilla, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Pour wet ingredients into your dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Fold in fruit. Using an ice cream/cookie scooper, even divide batter into muffin pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Heat brown sugar, milk, and butter in a small saucepan. Slowly boil for about 3-4 minutes on low-med/low. Pour a small amount of caramel sauce onto each muffin, put back in the oven and continue to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove and cool.

Tips:
1. Boil caramel on a low setting (not a rolling boil) or you will curdle your milk...ewww.
2. Save the left over caramel, let it cool a bit and drizzle over individual muffins
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