Apple Cider Muffins
Nice recipe for the fall months when apples and fresh apple cider is available,
Spiced Apple Cider Muffins
Recipe courtesy EatingWell.com
This recipe requires apple butter. Here is a recipe if you would like to make your own: Apple Butter recipe.
Streusel:
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts (optional)
Muffins:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter, such as Smucker's
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
To prepare streusel: Mix brown sugar, whole-wheat flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts, if using.
To prepare muffins: Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.
Whisk egg and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in apple butter, syrup, cider, yogurt and oil. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups (they'll be quite full). Sprinkle with the streusel.
Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
1 dozen muffins
Apple Cider Muffins
from https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/
These apple cider spice muffins have deep apple flavor and a moist texture thanks to a triple-dose of pure apple: apple cider, applesauce, and shredded apple. Like fall-favorite apple cider donuts, in muffin form! Be sure to use fresh apple cider, not hard cider and not apple cider vinegar.
Muffins
3/4 cup (180g/ml) fresh apple cider (NOT apple cider vinegar)
1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (113g/120ml) vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
1/2 cup (100g) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup (60g) unsweetened applesauce* [recipe for Homemade Apple Sauce]
1 and 1/2 cups (210g) peeled and shredded apple (about 1.5–2 apples)
3/4 cup (90g) chopped walnuts (optional)
* If you do not have applesauce, you can replace with mashed banana, sour cream, or plain yogurt. I haven’t tested the muffins using apple butter instead of applesauce.
Topping
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
Reduce the apple cider: In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to 1/4 cup (60g/ml), about 20 minutes. It won’t necessarily be any thicker, but it should be a bit darker. Pour the reduced apple cider into a heat-safe bowl or glass liquid measuring cup, and set aside (or refrigerate to speed things up) to cool to room temperature before using in step 4.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use muffin liners. Set aside.
Make the muffins: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.
In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, applesauce, and reduced apple cider until combined. Pour the oil mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until combined. Fold in the shredded apple and chopped walnuts (if using).
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin liners, filling all the way up to the top.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15–16 minutes more. Cool the muffins in the pan set on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins from the pan to the rack.
Make the topping: Whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Lightly brush the top of a warm muffin with melted butter then dip the top into the cinnamon-sugar. Peel off the liner and roll the entire muffin in the cinnamon-sugar to fully coat. (Or coat just the tops.)
Cover lightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The sugared coating draws out moisture, so the muffins become a bit sticky by day 2.
1 dozen muffins
