Almost every year at Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law makes an apple cake for dessert. But that didn’t happen in 2020. The holiday was a bit different for us, as I’m sure it was for most people.
Instead of eating at our house, we went to Memphis to a socially distanced gathering at our daughter Mary’s home. Everything was done outdoors. We visited, watched the National Dog Show and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and champagne cocktails on the patio.
When it was time to eat, we filed into the kitchen one at a time and served our plates, while Mary turned the patio into a dining area with two tables to seat seven people. After dinner, we gathered around a fire pit with plates of dessert.
Instead of Roye’s apple cake, we had Mary’s chocolate pudding and whoopie pies. Because it was her first time to host the feast, Mary insisted on doing just about everything, including dessert.
So I was pleasantly surprised last week when my MIL, Roye, dropped a container of apple muffins by our house. They’re made using a smaller version of her apple cake recipe and are delicious for breakfast.
APPLE MUFFINS
1 3/4 cup cubed raw apples
1/2 cup melted shortening
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
Mix apples and sugar and let stand. Combine melted shortening and egg and add to apples. Combine flour, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add to apple mixture and mix well. Fold in raisins and walnuts.
Grease a muffin tin. Divide batter among 12 cups. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
