soft & crumbly apple muffins

currently listening to: Kate Nash Pumpkin Soup 

  

I have decided to dedicate my day off from my part-time job to bake a little autumn treat!  The great debate was between apple crisp, apple pie, apple muffins, or some maple-pecan cookies.  The apple muffins won due to their simplistic recipe (so I could make mulitple batches) and because I've got many an apple around the apartment from apple picking with family this past weekend. 

The recipe I use for these muffins takes me way back to Home & Careers class in junior high.  Even after the years since then (about 10 years or so) I keep returning to this tried and true recipe!

 

[ Apple Muffins ]:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour                                 1/4 cup oil

1/2 sugar                                          1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons baking powder                 1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt                              *1 medium apple (peeled & grated)

Topping:

1/3 light brown sugar                         1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

*You can double the amount of grated apple you use in this recipe for more apple in each muffin.  I chose to do this for more of the fruit in each!

1. Stir together all the dry ingredients listed above in a large mixing bowl (flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, & baking powder). 
2. Whisk together the wet ingredients (egg, milk, & oil) in a separate medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Rinse, peel, and grate the medium apple (or apples) with cheese grater in medium sized bowl.
4. Add mixed-up egg, milk, & oil to the dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl.  Add in grated apple after (do not overmix).
5. Fill lined muffin tins (or greased if you want to be a little more eco-conscious) about 2/3-3/4 full with batter.
6. Sprinkle a teaspoon amount of the topping on each muffin before placing in the oven.
7. Bake @ 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes. (I baked mine for 22 minutes and they came out perfect!)
8. To check to see if the muffins are baked all the way through poke a toothpick to the bottom and check to see if there is any batter on the pick.  If you see a little batter bake a little while longer (maybe 5 minutes or so) and check again.  If you do not see any batter, or just muffin crumbles, then they are finished!  I use this trick for all baked goods to test if they are baked thoroughly.

 

 

Each batch of this recipe makes about 12-14 regular sized muffins.  I ended up baking about 5 dozen for a treat at work and for some friends in the local area.  When I begin to bake, sometimes I just can't stop and feel the need to bake a large quantity at a time (and end up sharing a good portion of baked goodies).  I'm not sure if these muffins would arrive well if I shipped them in the post, but it may be worth looking into for those friends who are a distance.

I hope you try out this very simple & delicious recipe for yourself as an autumn perk!  Apple recipes are always a lot of fun to make, and usually are pretty simple as well.  I'm quite thankful I'm still residing in New York State, so that I am able to pick them fresh from an orchard and bring home.  It's a sweet autumn tradition my family and I have had, and still cultivate annually.  I know I can look forward to apple picking each year and all the lovely baked goods that accompany the season!