Apple, oat, walnut muffins

First and foremost, pardon this nasty, blue-tinged picture. Gah! So annoying! Had to take pic with my cell phone as my digi cam was drowned in aqua a few weeks ago. What a rip. Hope to get a new one in the coming weeks... til then... smurf tinted pictures will have to do!

Apple Oat Walnut Muffins

• 2 apples peeled and cored, diced finely
• 1 cup of walnuts chopped coarsely
• 1 cup of kefir (or yogurt)
  
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 2 cups of organic wheat flour
• 1 cup of old fashioned oats
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp all spice
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp of sea salt
• 1/2 stick of butter at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a bowl combine the egg, brown sugar, and kefir. Set aside.
3. In another bowl mix the dry ingredients: flour, oats, spices.
4. Add the dry ingredient bowl to the wet mixture.
5. Fold in the apples and walnuts.
6. Pour into muffin tin sprayed with Pam
7. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with brown sugar and sugar crystals.
   
8. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 and then reduce the heat to 400 and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Cool in tin for 5 minutes and then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Serve warm with lashings of country fresh cream butter.

This recipe emerged from 2 left over apples that were sitting on my counter. Diced apples in the muffins adds such a lovely texture- moist and fluffy. You can use this recipe to also make a fabulous cranberry, walnut, oat, and apple bread. Simply add 1 cup of chopped dried cranberries to the mixture and pour into a greased bread pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 and then lower the heat to 400 for 10 more minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Enjoy!
Xoxox <3>Udo