Eat With The Espinelis | 003

Apple Crumb Muffins

Sep 21, 2022

Autumn is my favorite season. Everything about it, I cherish, and as the days cool, the air becomes crisp, and the trees are drenched in gold, my soul seems to warm. One way to embrace the new season is to go apple picking, as the fruit is abundant, delicious, and useful for many things. One of the sweetest provisions the Lord has given us at our home in England is fruit growing in our yard. We have blackberry bushes, grapevines, and a beautiful apple tree that is currently so full of apples, its branches are bowing under the weight. We do what we can to utilize this gift from the Lord and one of those ways is to use them in baked goods to enjoy as a family as well as to give to others.

The apples on our tree are tart and they work wonderfully in this recipe. You can use whichever apples you desire, but a mix of sweet and tart is a favorite of mine personally. Whether you go on an apple picking adventure or pick up some ripe fruit at your local market, these apple crumb muffins are a wonderful way to welcome Autumn.

Ingredients:

For the batter:

▢ 1 and ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour

▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda

▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder

▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

▢ ½ teaspoon nutmeg

▢ ½ teaspoon salt

▢ ½ cup (115g) butter, softened to room temperature

▢ 6 tablespoons maple syrup (or ½ cup (100g) brown sugar)

▢ ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

▢ 2 large eggs, at room temperature

▢ ½ cup (120g) yogurt, at room temperature

▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

▢ ¼ cup (60ml) milk, at room temperature

▢ 1 and ½ cups (165g) apples, peeled & chopped into ½ inch chunks (approximately 2-3 apples)

Crumb Topping:

▢ ⅓ cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar (granulated sugar will also work just fine)

▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon

▢ ¼ cup (60g) butter, melted

▢ ⅔ cup (84g) all-purpose flour

Icing (Optional):

▢ 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar

▢ 3 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk (use more or less depending on how thick you want it)

▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Grease a muffin pan or line with cupcake liners.
Make the batter:
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is combined and mostly creamy (it may look a bit curdled at this point and that’s okay)
- Add the dry ingredients and beat on low spead and then add the milk and beat until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the apples.
(This photo shows a glimpse of everyday modifications living in another country. We have adaptors that we carry around from room to room in order to use electronics from the States. Not all the outlets are equal in our very old home either so I’m using one in another room that works best and mixing on our son’s booster seat. Quite the humorous setup)
Spoon the batter evenly into each cup or liner, filling to the top.
Make the crumb topping:
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter, and then gently mix in the flour using a fork. Go very slowly here. You should start to see crumbles form like the photo below. If you mix too hard or fast, it will turn into a paste.
Spoon crumb topping on and gently press it down to the top of the batter.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218° C) then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). The initial high heat causes the batter to have greater oven spring and will give you those beautiful tops. Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
(Optional) Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and drizzle over muffins.
Keep covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.