Step-by-Step Recipe: Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Topping

It is technically fall, but the record high temperatures here yesterday sure didn't feel like it.  It hit 98 down at National Airport.  It was my day off, so I stayed inside.  And then turned my oven on and baked some muffins.

In the summer I had a large bunch of rhubarb to deal with from my grandpa's garden, which is when I found this recipe.  Because I wanted to make something I knew would be good, I took this recipe and subbed apples for the rhubarb.  Success!  I can already think of a dozen ways to make them better, but this was a pretty good start.

Before assembling the ingredients, you need to get the apples ready.  You could just peel them and then core and dice them with a knife, but I have an apple peeler/corer, and like to use it whenever I can!  When the apples come off the end, they have been cored, peeled and sliced, making dicing them the rest of the way a snap.

Once the apples are all chopped and ready, assemble the ingredients.  Clockwise from the oil: canola oil, apples, brown sugar, salt/cinnamon/baking soda, melted butter for the topping (I suggest softening this below), buttermilk, flour.  Inside: vanilla, one egg, lightly beaten.  One word on buttermilk: it is GREAT for baking.  It makes cakes and muffins light and moist, but it adds virtually no fat if you get the low-fat variety.  You can use the leftovers in salad dressing or mashed potatoes.  If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own sour milk by adding lemon juice to regular milk.

Combine your dry ingredients and make sure there are no big lumps of brown sugar.

Then combine the wet ingredients.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. (This photo was taken before it was all combined, fyi.)

Then fold in the diced apples.

Spoon mixture into the muffin cups, filling them less than full. Then combine the ingredients for the topping.  The original recipe said to melt the butter, which I did here, but you'll see that the topping wasn't really easy to sprinkle because it wasn't crumbly enough.  I suggest softening the butter for a better outcome.  Once you've mixed the topping mixture, sprinkle it on the muffins.

Bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes or so, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for a few minutes and then devour.

Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Topping, adapted by Julie from rhubarb recipe found at AllRecipes.com
Time: 40 minutes including prep and baking.  Serves: Makes 20-24 muffins, depending how big you make them.

Ingredients

For the muffins

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup low fat buttermilk
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2-3 cups finely chopped apple (I used 2 whole Braeburn apples)

For the topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. 
3. Combine egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. 
4. Fold in apples. 
5. Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cups about half full. 
6. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over each muffin. 
7. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until muffins test done (longer if they're fuller).

Note: This recipe isn't "light," but it's probably lighter than many comparable recipes--given the low-fat buttermilk and lack of butter (except in the topping).  You could make these even better by substituting 1 cup of the flour with whole wheat flour, substituting half the oil with apple sauce, and perhaps adding some oats.