Double Apple Oat Muffins

These hearty muffins have both diced fresh apples and a dollop of homemade apple-pear butter in each one. I also tried putting the apple-pear butter on top rather than in the middle - but the surprise is kind of fun. They contain a bunch of healthy ingredients - whole grain flour, wheat germ, walnuts, and being full of apples and buttermilk they are very moist and tender too. No cardboard-y whole grain pastries here!

Dollop!

Ready to bake.

Next time I might cut the apples a bit smaller, but I do like having apple chunks rather than grated apple as I've done previously.


Double Apple Oat Muffins
Adapted from Vegetarian Times, 2006.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups peeled, finely diced apples - I used one giant Jonagold apple(seriously, this thing was like 6" in diameter)
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2/3 cup wheat germ
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk (or 1/4 cup yogurt plus 1 cup milk, stirred together)
• 2 tablespoons walnut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 
• About 1/4 cup apple or apple-pear butter, divided

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400F. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray or use paper liners. 
2. Peel and dice the apple(s) and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, wheat germ, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, walnut oil, and vanilla.
5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Stir gently until just mixed, then stir in the apples and walnuts. 
6. For apple-pear butter centers: spoon batter to fill muffin cups 1/3 full, then dollop 1 tsp apple-pear butter in the center. Add more batter to fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Alternatively, fill muffin cups 3/4 full, then create a small well in the center. Dollop apple-pear butter into the well.
7. Sprinkle a few oats on top if you wish.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.