Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Apples & Currants

Yes, it's another muffin recipe, and a really good one at that. In fact, I've made three batches of these babies in the past two weeks alone, because they A. disappear so quickly, B. taste like the distillation of late autumn/early winter, and C. make the house smell absolutely wonderful. And with pumpkin, apples, currants, and relatively small quantities of fat and sugar, they're not only delicious but pretty healthy, too!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Apples & Currants
Ingredients
~ 1 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used cashew)
~ 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
~ 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed
~ 1 14 oz. can pumpkin puree (scant 2 cups)
~ ¼ cup each: canola oil, maple syrup
~ 1 tbsp. blackstrap molasses
~ 1 tsp. each: vanilla extract, rum extract
~ 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
~ 1 tbsp. baking powder
~ ½ tsp. each: baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon
~ ¼ tsp. each: nutmeg, allspice, cloves, cardamom, black pepper
~ 1 medium-size apple, small dice
~ ½ cup dried currants
~ 1-2 tsp. brown sugar mixed with ¼ tsp. nutmeg (optional)

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.
~ In a beaker, combine the soy milk with the vinegar and set aside for a few minutes. Add the flaxseed, and whisk vigorously for about a minute.
~ Stir in the pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla and rum extracts.
~ In a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (flour through black pepper). Sprinkle in the currants and diced apple, and toss to coat; this will give the fruit some "grip" in the batter.
~ Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, stir in the wet mixture, and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until thoroughly combined.
~ Spoon the batter evenly into your prepared muffin tin, and sprinkle the brown sugar and nutmeg (if using) on top.
~ Bake in the center of the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
~ Remove from oven and allow the muffins to rest in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. These are equally good warm or at room temperature, and are so moist they really don't need anything; that said, adding a schmear of almond or peanut butter makes a substantial mid-afternoon snack.