Amaretto Apple Streusel Cupcakes

I came across these in a Cooking Light magazine and my love for "anything-almond" drew me to try these delicious looking treats...Oh My!  These are simply amazing! I've made them with regular (non-low fat) ingredients as well as the low-fat ones and it turns out beautifully both ways.

Ingredients

• Cooking spray 
•  all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups) 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened 
• 2 tablespoons amaretto (almond-flavoring)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg 
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream 
• 1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk 
• 3/4 cup finely chopped Gala apple
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
• Streusel:
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, chilled 
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
• Glaze:
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk 

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. 2. Place muffin cup liners in 12 muffin cups; coat with cooking spray.
3. 3. Place (about 1 1/2 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 6.75 ounces flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar, cream cheese, and 1/4 cup 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 cup milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until well blended. Combine apple and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; toss well.
4. 4. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until blended. Fold in apple mixture. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
5. 5. To prepare the streusel, combine 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal; stir in almonds. Sprinkle streusel evenly over cupcakes. Bake at 350° 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.
6. 6. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and 4 teaspoons milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over cupcakes.

Note:

If you don't want to use the amaretto, replace it with 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.

Lorraine Fina Stevenski, Clearwater, Florida, Cooking Light 
OCTOBER 2009