Apple Muffins

I do so very much like making breakfasts. I think I already said that before but I must say it again. Often on our "family day" I'll start off thinking to make one extra little goodie & end up with a 5 course meal. It's like I just can't stop pulling out stuff from the fridge. That's why I have visitors over for dinner not breakfast I guess.

And of course, no matter what, Little-Miss-Early-Bird always wants to stay & watch or help. I've found muffins is the easiest thing for little hands to help out with. No kneading or cookie-cutters, just mix & pour. I'm all about the muffins, baby! And as long as I have an oven muffins will be at the top of my list of breakfast goodies. (right after, hash browns, and waffles, and egg mcmuffins, and bacon, and hot dogs in my eggs, and strawberry jam.....)

Here are some apple muffins I made the other day that I revised the recipe to a bit (the original was on allrecipes) I kept the peel on the apple cuz' I could just tell by looking at them that the color of the red would really soak in & make it so much more "apple-like" and it did sure make them look purrty. Man, they were yummy. Here's the recipe:

2 cups flour (today I used one white & one whole wheat)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp lemon rind
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cardamom (not necc. but cardamom is my new kick, allspice or cloves would've worked fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 oil
2 c apples, chopped

The method is so very basic that you'd have to be a silly-nilly to mess it up. Whisk dry in one bowl, wet in another. Pour wet into dry, mix till JUST BARELY BLENDED, then fold in apples. Spoon into muffin tin (makes either 12 small or 6 large) bake at 200c for 15-20 min. Cool for 2-3 min, cool on wire rack & eat warm.

NOTE (possible rant): IT really tears me up inside to see people beat or whisk their muffin or sweet bread batter. This is NOT a cake. It's just NOT meant to be. Mix it with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. (No whisks, please -- good Lord!) You should be just going for-- making the dry ingredients disappear. It SHOULD be lumpy. Please, pretty please, be kind to your muffins & they'll be kind to you.

Well, that's enough on that. And here are the pics!

Chopped apples.
Best Job for tiny hands, grease the muffin tins.
It's hard to teach little kids to not mix with so much "vigor" and "joy" (thus causing huge 'flour explosions" all over the kitchen)....but we're working on it.
Just waiting for the oven to preheat
TA-DA! Though, Look at those poor muffins on the side of the tray that are suffering from the uneven heat in my oven, and have a case of 'lopsided-cone-head-syndrome'. I have a serious "hot-spot" on the side, so inevitably the things on the left side always get hotter quicker even if I move the food around during baking.

Oh dear...look at that? Mustn't look at that too long. That just makes me hungry! Everyone needs a pick me up in the morning. I shall embrace my chilly morning with a happy little espresso & a little butter on my muffin.

PS. Beware of a happy happy post about a certain shiny new red kitchen mixer coming soon to a mediocre blog near you.