Apple Oatmeal Spice Muffins

Spiced apple cider, mittens, pumpkin-coloured leaves…

In this part of the world, fall is arriving. I love the heat of summer and I’m still kind of in denial about the whole winter-is-coming ordeal, clinging on to my shorts and flip-flops.

I can’t deny the beauty of autumn, however. Although the weather gets colder, the colours and scents of the season are so warming. And with the cool breeze of autumn comes…baking! No more running the oven in thirty (eighty for you farenheight-ers) degree weather! 

I always associate apples with autumn. Call it some sort of subconscious back-to-school association, but I was thinking it was about time to kick off fall baking and so I decided what better way than to start with warm, apple oatmeal spice muffins. Full of fibre, these muffins make a quick breakfast or a filling mid-day snack. They keep really, really well, and are actually more moist the next day.

Apple Spice Muffins

1 ¼ cup flour (up to half whole wheat)

½ cup rolled oats

¼ cup bran flakes

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup sugar

1 egg

½ cup milk

½ cup chopped apple

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons plain yogurt (I use Greek, regular fat)

2 tablespoons applesauce

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 340 degrees and grease a 12-muffin tin.

In a small bowl add the oats and bran flakes. Pour in the half cup of milk, stir, and let the mixture sit while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Peel the apples (I used two) and roughly chop into little pieces according to your apple chunk size preference.

In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients; flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves.

In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients; egg, applesauce, yogurt, oil, sugar, maple syrup and chopped apple.

Add the oat-bran-milk to the wet ingredients and stir gently.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet. Stir until just combined; the batter should be lumpy. Don’t worry about a few flour lumps. The secret to tender muffins is all in the mixing.

Scoop the mixture into the muffin tin. You can make 12 regular sized muffins, or fill them really full and make half as many giant monster muffins.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until center is set and muffins are slightly golden.

The final and most important step: Take one warm muffin, slice it in half, spread it with a little cream cheese, and enjoy.

Question: what's your favorite spice to use in baking? Is it classic cinnamon, or something a little different?