apple and cinnamon muffins

This week I have the week off as it is the school holidays. I haven't had much on my agenda except for report writing. I don't know if it's all the extra time I have, or the rainy weather that makes it feel like Winter, but I have gone into baking overload. (Have you noticed? All I seem to be blogging about these days is food.)

I love a good breakfast, and as I had run out of my trusty granola this morning, I had the perfect excuse to bake something. I have lots of fruit to use up, so it was a choice between something containing blueberries, rhubarb or apple. I went with apple and baked up some muffins that went a little like this:

Apple and Cinnamon Muffins

ingredients

2 dessert apples (any variety)

100 g spelt flour

150g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

125 g brown sugar, use an extra 4 for sprinkling

60 ml natural or greek yoghurt

60 ml vegetable oil

65 ml applesauce

2 eggs

30g natural almonds, roughly chopped

15g oat bran
15g ground almonds
handful of sultanas or raisins
60ml honey, 60ml hot water with 1 tbsp caster sugar dissolved (or 120ml honey)


1) Preheat oven to 180C / gas mark 4. Line muffin tray with 12 muffin cases
2) In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, sultanas, oat bran and ground almonds
3) In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, yoghurt, oil, applesauce, brown sugar and honey & sugar water mix
4) Peel, core and dice the apples, then set aside.

5) Combine wet and dry ingredients, then gently stir until just combined (overstirring = dense muffins)
6) Stir in the diced apple
7) Distribute the mixture between the muffin cases
8) Combine the blanched, chopped almonds with 1 tsp cinnamon and 4 tsp brown sugar and sprinkle on top of each muffin

9) Bake for 15 - 20 mins / until golden
10) Place on cooling rack, or eat warm