Apple-Oat Muffins

At the risk of making everyone think that all I eat is soup and muffins, here's another muffin recipe.  Let's face it.  You can never have too many muffins.  Especially ones like these, bursting with little apple nuggets and chewy oatmeal, golden brown and crusty on top, cakey and dense inside.  Add a hint of cinnamon and you can almost imagine it's still autumn, even though snow is falling and all the trees are looking for their leaves.  (Don't get me wrong; I like snow and winter.  I just like fall more.)

If you still have a few wrinkly apples left from your visit to the orchard a couple of months ago, they will be great for this recipe.  I actually used up some windfalls I still had from the co-op.  If not, any kind of cooking apple will do.  The original recipe calls for plain yogurt, which I happened to have on hand, but sour cream or applesauce can be substituted as well.  (If you have homemade applesauce, all the better.)

Apple-Oat Muffins (from this recipe)
Yield:  1 dozen
Total time:  35-40 minutes

2 cups peeled shredded apple (about 3/4 pound)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup milk
2 T. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup (8 oz.) plain low-fat yogurt (OR applesauce OR sour cream)
1 egg

Place apple on paper towels; squeeze over sink until barely moist; set aside.  Combine flour and next six ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.  Make a well in center of mixture.  In a separate bowl, combine milk, oil, vanilla, yogurt, and egg; stir well with a whisk.  Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.  Stir in apple.

Spoon batter into 12 well-greased muffin cups (they should be filled almost to the top).  Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.

Apple Crisp and Applesauce

Eating apple crisp is like tasting fall in a dish.  And as if it's not good enough on its own, this concoction melts over vanilla ice cream into a mound of deliciousness.  I don't remember where this recipe came from originally, but my parents used to make it every fall with the apples we picked together from a local orchard.  It works great with the windfalls that are donated to the co-op from local farms.

Apple Crisp
Serves 6

5-1/2 cups cooking apples, peeled and sliced (I like to cut the apple in half, remove the core, then slice into half-rings)
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup pecans, chopped (optional; you could also try using walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place apples in an 8- by 10-inch casserole dish; add water.  Combine next six ingredients (through flour).  Cut in butter with pastry blender.  Stir in nuts, if desired.  Spoon mixture evenly over apples.  Cover; bake 30 minutes.  Uncover; bake 30 minutes longer.  Serve warm alone or with vanilla ice cream.

***

If you still have apples left over, homemade applesauce is another delicious, easy way to use them up.  My friend Stephanie and I made some a couple weeks ago, and it turned out great!  I don't have exact measurements; just use as many apples as you want and season to taste.

Homemade Applesauce

Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks
1/2 to 3/4 cup water, apple juice, or cider
Cinnamon

Place prepared apples in a large soup pot or dutch oven; add enough liquid so that the bottom of pot is covered.  Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally.  Apples will slowly break down and release a delicious aroma! :)  Continue to cook until applesauce has reached the desired consistency--longer for smooth sauce, shorter if you like it chunky.  This takes about 45 minutes to an hour.  Add cinnamon to taste.  If you like your applesauce very smooth, you can use a potato masher, strainer, or food processor to remove any remaining lumps.  Serve warm or cold; freezes well.