last weekend, a group of us went apple picking. fall is my fave season, and in my book, there is no better way to spend a fabulous fall day than doing something uber fall-ish! we tried not to go over board and pick too many, so we spent much of our time climbing the trees instead (don't worry, the orchard actually encourages you to have fun, climb trees, and eat some apples while you're there!).
so, upon returning home, i decided it was essential to put some of these fresh picked apples to good use. i tend not to follow recipes (which is both a blessing and a curse), but i decided i should look online for some "inspiration". i found a recipe to streusel-topped apple muffins -- sold! of course, i strayed from the recipe a bit to add my own flair, but over all i think they turned out pretty good (especially if you top them with a little butter).
here's what you'll need for a dozen muffins & 1 small loaf of sweet bread...
3 medium apples, peeled and chopped into 1/4 in pieces (reserve 1/2 for streusel) 1 cup plantain flour (or other gluten-free flour mix) 1 cup cornmeal 1/2 cup sugar 1 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp salt 2 eggs 1/4 cup yogurt 1/4 cup almond milk (any milk non-dairy or otherwise will do) 1/4 cup canola oil
streusel: 1/2 of the apples from above 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup oats 1 tsp cinnamon
preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1. mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. in a separate bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, milk, and oil.
2. slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. once they're combined, fold in 1/2 of the apples you chopped. (before you fold them in, it can be nice to season them with a bit of extra cinnamon and sugar...)
3. for the streusel, combine the remainder of the apples, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon.
4. spoon the batter into greased muffin tins, filling them 3/4 full. you'll probably have extra for a small loaf of sweet bread too.
5. top the muffins (and bread) with some of the "streusel" mixture, and bake muffins for 15-20 min and bread for 25-30 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.
allow to cool, and then enjoy with a cup of tea (and a pad of butter).
enjoy!
