Applesauce Cupcakes

I was a little nervous about this recipe before starting it. The applesauce bread I made last weekend was pretty tasty, but also a little strong. And, there was no icing listed in the recipe to go on the cupcakes. At first I did some research and found that other people have made this recipe and then added a caramel icing/glaze on top. But, I also read that the cupcakes were delicious without anything on them, so I decided to give that a shot.

I realize they don't look like much, but they were actually really good. There's a lot of sugar, and it sort of crystallized on the outside, giving them something almost like a shell. The batter looks awkward while you're making it - before you add the applesauce, it looks more like a really thick cookie dough. But it will all work out, I promise.

Before I add the recipe, here is one more from the Iron Chef Blogger Challenge: Cream Cheese. Carrie made an Artichoke Bread, and it looks delicious!

So, here it is. It's originally from the Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook. I left out the cloves (because I apparently didn't have any and don't like them that much anyway) and the raisins (because I think they're gross).

Applesauce Cupcakes
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups hot applesauce, with 2 teaspoons baking soda added

Preheat oven to 350. Mix above ingredients in a bowl by hand, except for applesauce. Last, add hot applesauce and baking soda. Pour batter into paper-lined cupcake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until done. Yields about 2 dozen cupcakes.