Apple Pie Muffins

It's fall! We went apple picking last Saturday and brought home lots of beautiful apples! This was our first experience picking apples and it was very exciting, except for the bee sting. :/ We tasted different varieties while picking, but the ones we brought home were Tsugaru. Never heard of them? I hadn't either, but they are a very sweet apple, and we love sweet! They aren't necessarily a baking apple, but I had to try something new! We loved these muffins! I especially like that they aren't full of cinnamon like most baked apple dishes. Even though fall is apple season, apples are always available, so you can make these anytime!

Apple Pie Muffins
adapted from allrecipes.com
Topping
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Muffins 
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups diced apples (about 1 large apple, I leave my peel on)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups.
2. For topping: Combine topping ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix using a pastry blender or fork, cutting up the margarine into no bigger than pea sized pieces. Set aside.
3. For muffins: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a separate smaller bowl, mix together the egg, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.
5. Pour into the flour mixture and sprinkle the diced apple into the bowl as well. Stir just until everything is blended.
6. Using a large scoop (about 1/4 cup), scoop batter into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle each cup of batter with 1 1/2 TBSPs of topping mixture.
7. Bake for 20-22 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
Makes about 18 muffins.