Apple Muffins

The muffin of my eye

I promised you a recipe, and I shall deliver. Never doubt me, kittens.

I stumbled across this one when I was living beyond my means in a studio that was ramshackle in every way but happened to have a decently-sized kitchen. I cut the cable to save money, but the Time Warner tech took pity on me and left me with two channels: the Food Network and Spike. One morning I watched Ellie Krieger make these muffins, and a couple hours and a few episodes of "Man Versus Beast" later, the apple-cinnamon smell was wafting through my overpriced shoebox.

The recipe makes a dozen, but I like to freeze them and sling 'em in the toaster oven on chilly mornings.


Apple Muffins

- Adapted from Ellie Krieger's recipe on FoodNetwork.com-

Make a dozen muffins

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup natural applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
• 1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  
  

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a muffin pan or fill with liners.

2. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, the walnuts and cinnamon.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flour, baking soda and salt.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and oil until combined. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.

5. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the walnut mixture. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean.

7. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool completely on the rack.