Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

3 T. butter (softened)

1/3 C. honey or sugar

2 eggs

3/4 C. buttermilk

1/3 C. oats

1 1/2 C. flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. allspice

1/4 t. salt

1 lg. or 2 sm. apples (peeled and cut into small pieces)

12 walnut halves (optional)

Directions:

This will make a dozen muffins.  Find a muffin tin or two, such that you have 12 muffin cups.  Spray the inside of the cups generously with non-stick cooking spray.

Wash and peel your apples.  (Do NOT dump the apple peels down the drain; that is an excellent way to clog your pipes.  Peel the apples on some old newspaper and either roll up and discard the newspaper or put the peels outside for the squirrels.)  Cut the apples in small chunks, avoiding the core and trimming off any badly bruised spots.

Find a small bowl.  Measure in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.  Use a fork to gently mix.

Preheat your oven to 375◦.  (Don’t forget to take anything you store in the oven out first!)

Find a medium mixing bowl.  Put the butter and sugar in the bowl.  Use the back of a fork to cream the butter and the sugar.  (The sugar should be entirely incorporated into the butter, and the butter should be in one spreadable clump, not in separate bits like grains of rice.  If it does not match this description, keep going.)

Crack the eggs into the bowl.  (Wash your hands.)  Mix in the eggs.  Add the buttermilk. Mix.  Add the oats.  Mix.  Add the flour-spice mixture.  Mix.  Add in the apple pieces.  Mix well.

Use a large spoon to spoon the muffin batter into the (sprayed) cups of your muffin tin(s).  When all the batter has been used up, the muffin cups will be about 3/4 full.  If desired, place a walnut half on top of each muffin.

When the oven is preheated, put the muffin tin(s) carefully in the oven and set a timer for 21 minutes.

Meanwhile, decide on what heat-resistant surface you’re going to put the hot muffin tin(s).  (Good choices: a wood cutting board or a stove burner that’s not on.)  Find a wire cooling rack for the muffins.

When the timer goes off, turn the oven off.  Use oven mitts to take the muffin tin(s) out of the oven and put it/them where you decided it would be safe.  Use oven mitts to pick up the muffin tin and carefully tip it over the cooling rack so the muffins fall out.  (If the muffins don’t fall out, you will need to run a butter knife carefully around the edge of each one, between the muffin and the side of the muffin cup, to cut through any stuck spots and loosen the muffin.)

Allow to cool at least 5-10 minutes to avoid burning your mouth on hot apple.