Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Holy Cow! It's getting colder these days. When did fall come to the DC area. Seriously. It had been so warm this October and now we are only nearing 60 degrees. Sheesh. No more bragging to my northern friends and family about the "great weather I'm having."


I know that most of the time I try to write about something that includes something of the ingredients of my posting but today, well, it's just not that kind of day. Nope. I wanna say that I wish there is some revival of simple music. Like early rock n' roll. The songs were quick, too the point, and they made me wanna dance. I need more of that kind of thing in my life. I need more dancing. Why don't people go out and dance anymore? I'm not talking grinding at dimly lit nightclubs. I'm talking brightly lit rooms with couples and friends dancing the night away.


Maybe it's my love of such nostalgia as ladies hats and afternoon tea. But I sometimes feel I was born in the wrong decade. Maybe you think the same thing. There is probably some silly Facebook quiz you could take to find out. Am I right?


Well, enjoy these muffins - they are full of apples and nutty whole wheat and of course...love!




Whole Wheat Apple Muffins
*Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Makes 12-14 muffins


2 cups (8 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 Tbs. honey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

1) Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease or line with paper cups 12-14 muffin cups and set aside.

2) Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spice, and set aside.

3) In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add white sugar, until fluffy. Add the honey and egg, and mix well. Stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

4) Mix in the buttermilk very gently (if you over mix the buttermilk you mixture will look curdled).

5) Stir in the dry ingredients and fthen softly fold in the apple chunks.

6) Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar on top.

7) Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.