Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour,baking powder,salt and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat the ingredients on medium speed until creamy, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and lemon zest to the bowl. Beat until well incorporated.
Stir in the flour mixture until just moistened. Stir in the apples. Spoon the batter into your prepared muffin cups,filling each cup 3/4 full.
Sprinkle almonds over each muffin cup, followed by a sprinkling of sugar over each muffin cup.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18 - 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Let the muffins sit in the pan for 5 minutes before removing.