Amaretto Apple Streusel Cupcakes

(Courtesy of Cooking Light)

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
6 3/4 oz. all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 c.)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. (2 oz.) less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. amaretto
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 c. reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 c. 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 c. finely chopped Gala apple
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
STREUSEL:
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. butter, chilled
2 Tbsp. sliced almonds
GLAZE:
1 c. powdered sugar
4 tsp. 2% reduced-fat milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place muffin cup liners in 12 muffin cups; coat with cooking spray.

Weigh or lightly spoon a 6.75 ounces flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine 6.75 oz. flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Combine granulated sugar, cream cheese, and 1/4 c. butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended.  Add amaretto, vanilla and egg to sugar mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.  Combine sour cream and 1/4 c. milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until well blended.  Combine apple and 1 Tbsp. flour in a small bowl; toss well.

Add the flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ended with flour mixture.  Beat just until blended.  Fold in apple mixture.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

To prepare the streusel, combine 2 Tbsp. flour, brown sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.  Cut in 2 Tbsp. butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal; stir in almonds.  Sprinkle streusel evenly over cupcakes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack, and remove the cupcakes from pan.

To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and 4 tsp. milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Drizzle glaze over cupcakes.

Note~ Can replace amaretto with 1/2 tsp. almond extract.

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