Today was baking day. Bread, cookies, granola, muffins, maybe a cake. I had the best of intentions. Butter softening on the counter. Oats and nuts down from the shelves. Sugar, honey. All the ingredients. And then, as it sometimes does, the day got away from me. So that was fun too.
But I did make these muffins. They use 100% whole wheat flour but somehow aren’t heavy. They’re moist and a little sweet, and you can make them sweeter with a pecan streusel topping. We always go that route when we have them as a breakfast treat. Or you can make the muffins plain, as I do when I make them for my kids’ lunchboxes, usually in a mini muffin tin. Kids dig little things. And it’s cute to watch the baby enthusiastically eat a whole–if tiny–muffin.
Whole Wheat Apple Muffins require three bowls if you’re making the streusel topping, which I highly recommend. Make the topping first: mash together or pulse in a food processor 1/2 c brown sugar, 2 tsp. flour, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 3 Tb. butter, and 2/3 c. chopped pecans. Pop the topping into the freezer while you’re preparing the batter (and if you have leftover topping, you can keep it in the freezer for next time). Mix wet ingredients in one bowl: 2 beaten eggs, 1 1/3 c. buttermilk, 1/3 c. canola oil, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl: 2 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 c. (or up to 3/4 c.) brown sugar. Using a rubber spatula, fold wet and dry ingredients together with 1 c. peeled and finely diced apple. Don’t stir too much, just until it’s all combined. Scoop into buttered or lined muffin tins, filling nearly to the top, then pat streusel on top if you are using it. Bake at 375 in the upper 1/3 of the oven for about 10 mins for mini muffins or 20-25 mins for the larger size.
This recipe is from my all-time favorite cookbook, Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. My copy is falling apart, pages are abandoning the binding, it’s oil-stained and thickened by pages that have soaked up sauces, dressings, soup splatters, and my notes in the margins. What do your favorite cookbooks look like? And what are they?
Emmy Cooks 
I love baking with apples, these muffins look just right though i have to tell you i am the worlds worst muffin maker, i would love to try these though! and some of the recipes in my book are almost indecipherable! c
Somehow I don’t believe that you are the world’s worst muffin maker–although if it’s true, there are certainly worse faults! :) I love that you have recipes that are so well-loved as to be nearly indecipherable–you had better copy them elsewhere soon!
We most recently got Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every day. We love it. It isn’t quite falling apart, but it has definitely been worked in.
Like the apple muffin idea. Not much of a baker myself (well not yet;) but these guys would be great for breakfast.
I love Super Natural Every Day. Some of my favorite recipes are the green lentil soup with curried brown butter, the rye bread with dill butter, and the ravioli salad with harissa. What are your favorites? I always like getting recipe recommendations!
Oh, yeah. Streusel topping! Whoo-hoo!
And my copy of Madison’s book looks about the same.
I picked up an equally stained copy of Julia’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking last year. Why did I buy a used copy of a book I already had? For the scribbles. Some wonderful person had covered almost every page with food, notes, and scribbles. I don’t know why anyone would part with such a treasure (it is almost too sad to think about it), but I am glad to have it.
These look delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I have good intentions with whole wheat flour but for some reason can never motivate with it. I have a giant container of it sitting in line with all my other bulk type kitchen items. Maybe this recipe will do it for me, I have been craving apple cake and this sounds great. I love streusel topping.
These muffins would be a great use of your whole wheat flour, as would the quick bread I posted just now. I like the combination of brown sugar and whole wheat. But if you’re craving an apple cake, have you tried this one? http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/11/dorie-greenspan-french-apple-cake-recipe/ I made it several times last year, substituting more vanilla for the rum. Invite me over if you make it. :)
I’m always looking for somewhat healthy ‘treats’ and these fit the bill. I would probably substitute agave nectar for the brown sugar as I try to stay away from sugar and as the agave is sweeter than sugar, I won’t need as much. Have you thought about adding some pecans or walnuts to these? I would!
These would be great with nuts inside–I usually just use them in the topping. And I will be honest and tell you that I have (accidentally) made these entirely without sugar & they were still a little sweet from the apples, just more bready than cakey. So you definitely wouldn’t go wrong reducing the sweetener. Enjoy!