The cool nights we’ve been having recently and the beautiful apples in today’s box have inspired me to do some baking. So here’s a recipe for apple muffins that are more savory than sweet. Wish I could remember where I found this recipe originally ….. It called for Irish cheddar ….. maybe it was some research I did for a St. Patrick’s Day story?
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon fine salt 1/2 teaspoon ground sage 3/4 cup medium-dice cheddar cheese 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese 3 large eggs 2/3 cup whole milk 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted 1 1/2 cups grated apples (about 2 medium)
Preparation:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sage together in a large bowl until aerated and any large lumps are broken up. Add the diced and shredded cheese and toss until the pieces are separated and evenly coated with the flour mixture; set aside.
Place the eggs, milk and melted butter in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the apples and stir until combined. Add the egg mixture to the flour-cheese mixture and stir until the flour is just incorporated, being careful not to overmix (a few streaks of flour are OK). The batter will be very thick.
Using a rubber spatula, divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (test several spots because you may hit a pocket of cheese), about 20 minutes.
Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pan and finish cooling on a wire rack.