Applesauce Muffins (For Jamie)

I made these for the ladies Tea, and Jamie requested the recipe, so here it is!  The recipe calls for homemade applesauce, but I used store bought.  Think they would be even better with homemade though!

From The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - The New Classics

2 C flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground clove
8 oz. unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks or 225 g.)
1 C sugar
1 1/2 C packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups apple sauce
1 cup chopped pecans
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, room temp.

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line stnadard muffin tin with paper liners.  Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves together into a medium bowl.  Set aside.

2. Put 8 Tbsps (1 stick) butter, sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a bowl and cream together with an electric mixer.  Mix on medium until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Mix in the eggs, 1 at a time.  On low speed, mix in the apple sauce and then the flour mixture.  Stir in nuts by hand.

3. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.  Bake until tester comes out clean, 18 - 20 minutes.  Let cool completely in the tins on a wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, in a clean bowl, mix the cream cheese and remaining butter (1 stick) and 1 cup brown sugar on medium speed until smooth.  Spread the cream cheese frosting on the muffins.  Can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 2 days.  (I stored them on my counter, covered for like a week, and they were still good!)