Apple Muffins with olive oil and honey

October is the time when I can find the best variety of apples for baking. So, buy some juicy apples, dust of your favorite muffin tins and lets make the most irresistible and healthy apple muffins ever. The Mediterranean twist of the classic apple muffin recipe is the replacement of butter and sugar with olive oil and honey. Healthy and simply irresistible!

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Hands on: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serves: 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour (+ 2 teaspoons for coating apples)

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (+ ½ teaspoon for coating apples)

2 apples (medium size, diced)

1/8 cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 cups honey

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ cup -2 tablespoons milk

For the Topping (up to the individual):

½ cup butter, melted

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup ground cinnamon

or

¼ cup icing sugar

¼ cup cinnamon

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How to do it

1. Preheat oven to 180oC / 350oF. Spray the muffin tins with bakers spray or coat well with butter and flour. Make sure to discard any excess flour from the tins after coating.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. Toss together diced apples and 2 teaspoons of flour to coat apples in a separate bowl and set aside.

4. Whisk together olive oil and honey about 3 minutes (user your mixer). Add an egg, one at a time, taking care to fully incorporate before adding the other.

5. Add the vanilla extract too.

6. Gently fold in milk, alternating with the flour mixture. Stir until just combined.

7. Add the diced apples, stir with a spoon and scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin tins. Fill them about ⅔full.

8. Bake for 25 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean).

9. While the muffins are baking, you can prepare the topping. Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. Pour it into a bowl sized easy for dipping tops of muffins. Then mix together in a separate bowl granulated sugar and cinnamon.

10. Once muffins have baked, remove from the oven and allow cooling slightly in the muffin tin. Then, remove each muffin and dip first into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture.

11. Or let them completely cool and sprinkle with icing sugar and then ground cinnamon.

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Tips

• Fold them with a plastic kitchen wrap to keep them fresh and soft for a longer time.

• Do not sprinkle with icing sugar if your muffins are not completely cool. The sugar will melt.