Apple Oat Bran Muffins

I’ve fallen into a fairly new morning rhythm of rising a bit earlier to have some quiet time in the kitchen before the kids wake up.  In the past I’d been more sporadic about waking up, sometimes letting myself sleep until the last possible moment and then quickly scrambling to get ready in a mad rush.  (Cereal comes in handy on those days.)  I’ve found, however, that I’m much calmer and gentler in dealing with the children if I’ve had an hour or so to myself.  Being deliberate with preparing breakfast somehow helps me to prepare for the rest of the day and it’s especially comforting on chilly mornings to enjoy something warm from the oven.

Those who have been following along for some time know that I have an affection for bran muffins.  For me, a good bran muffin has a hearty texture and is just sweet enough to be a treat, but not so sweet as to be confused with dessert.  These muffins are just that. They are are a slightly adapted version of my nectarine oat bran muffins-  I added cinnamon and nutmeg for a touch of autumn, swapped maple syrup for the honey, and then increased the maple syrup a tad since apples tend to bake up less sweet and also release less liquid than the nectarines. I also played around with the oven temperature and discovered that baking these at a higher temp gave a better rise and shape to the muffins.  Enjoy these warm with a pat of soft butter and perhaps an extra drizzle syrup.

Apple Oat Bran Muffins

• Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1½ cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oat bran
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ⅓ cup olive oil or melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large apple, small diced (I used pink lady)
• 1 small apple, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons raw turbinado sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease or line 12 muffins cups.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg. Add the buttermilk, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
5. Gently fold in the diced apple.
6. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Gently press two slices of apple on top of each muffin. Sprinkle each muffin with a little turbinado sugar.
7. Bake 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire rack to finish cooling.