Applesauce Muffins

Every single day I want a dessert. I can't help myself but in the evenings I always want something sweet. The same happened yesterday but I didn't have anything to eat. What a catastrophe! Moreover, there was nothing in the fridge. I only had some flour, sugar, cinnamon, cocoa and homemade applesauce leftovers. What to do with such ingredients? Applesauce muffins! Made totally from scratch they turned out fantastically! For fun I decided to make a filling for them.Well.. I think pictures tell more than I. Just look at their moistness. And make them. Now!

For the muffins:

• 8 tablespoons sweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup dark rye flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch salt

For the filling and topping:

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 hazelnuts, finely chopped
• ~2-3 tablespoons applesauce

Directions: 

1. To make the muffins: preheat oven to 190C. Line 12 cupcake liners into the tins.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter, applesauce, sugar and eggs together. Add in vanilla. Gently stir in flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Pour about a tablespoon batter into the bottom of the tin. Add 1/2 teaspoon filling on top of batter. Cover filling with another tablespoon batter. Sprinkle each with filling (which you set aside - look below).
4. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out dry. Let muffins cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
5. To make the filling: mix ½ tbsp sugar with cocoa and half of the hazelnuts. In another bowl, mix another ½ tbsp sugar with cinnamon and the remaining hazelnuts. Take a teaspoon of each mixture and set aside (for sprinkling the tops). Mix in the applesauce into cinnamon and cocoa fillings to make a smooth not too runny paste.