An Apple A Day

On my way back from Detroit last month, I stopped by an orchard in Coloma and bought a bushel of Empire apples. Eternity has been described as “two people and a turkey.” One might as well say “two people and a bushel of apples,” because we are still slowly eating our way through the basket. It’s a good thing Empires are keepers.

I was looking for a quick scone recipe when I found this one, and decided to add some chopped apple. My first try resulted in a batter too slack, as the old cookbooks say, for scones, but it made dandy muffins. The second time I added some spices and vanilla, and I didn’t chop the apple quite so fine.

Apple Muffins

1 cup Bisquick or other baking mix
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup thin cream (or ¼ cup whole milk with 1 T. butter melted into it)
1 egg
1 Empire or other small apple, peeled and cored
1 t. vanilla
½ t. cinammon
¼ t. cloves
Cinnamon sugar

Coarsely chop the apple; I put eighths in the food processor with the sugar and pulsed about 3 times. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat the egg into the cream with the vanilla, and add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until they are mixed. The dough should look ragged. Fold in the chopped apple and spoon into a well buttered muffin tin. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with cinnamon sugar and bake at 425° for 13-15 minutes. Allow them to cool in the muffin tin for about 10 minutes after you take them out of the oven, so they don’t stick while coming out of the pan. If you’re too impatient for that, use paper muffin cups.

I halved the original recipe so this makes six muffins. Unlike most home-made muffins, these are good for two or three days, probably because of the chopped fruit. I reheat them, wrapped in foil and in a 250° oven while I’m getting ready for work, and so can enjoy a warm muffin with my first cup of coffee.

(vintage fruit crate label from Dover).