Apple Nut Muffins

Arrived home recently with about an hour to prepare treats for a meeting. With no time to run to the store, I thought perhaps I could make muffins with the banana ripening on top of the microwave. However, one banana wasn't enough for the recipes in my periphery.

Fortunately, my eye noticed a recipe for apple muffins next to Joy of Cooking's recipe for banana nut muffins, and my brain remembered the somewhat shriveled apples that had escaped last week's fridge clean-out. Perfect!

The muffins are flavored less by the apples than by the cinnamon. However, the apples provide fiber and allow less fat to be used in the recipe than is found in many muffins.

APPLE NUT MUFFINS

(Modified from Joy of Cooking)

2 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ cups packed coarsely grated peeled apples (about 2 medium), with any juice

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Scant ½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil

1. Whisk eggs and sugar together in a large bowl.

2. Stir in grated apples and let stand for 10 minutes.

3. In medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

4. Stir nuts into dry ingredients.

5. Once the apples have stood for 10 minutes, stir in the melted butter.

6. Add the flour mixture and fold just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

7. Grease or line either a pan for 12 regular-size muffins or 3 pans that each make 12 tiny muffins.

8. Bake in 400°F oven for 14 to 16 minutes for the larger muffins or 7 to 8 minutes for the tiny muffins.

9. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before removing from the pan. If not serving hot, let cool on a rack. Serve as soon as possible, preferably the day they are baked.

NOTE: Apples with shriveled skins work just fine in this recipe.