Spiced Apple Muffins

Name: Spiced Apple Muffins
Cook time: 22 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 300 g all-purpose flour sifted; 100 g granulated sugar divided; 100 g light brown sugar packed; 10 g baking powder; 2 g baking soda; 4 g fine salt; 4 g ground cinnamon; 1 g ground nutmeg; 85 g unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly; 30 ml neutral oil; 2 large eggs at room temperature; 180 ml whole milk at room temperature; 10 ml vanilla extract; 50 g granulated sugar divided; 300 g apples peeled, cored, and diced small; 10 g all-purpose flour for tossing diced apples; 20 g turbinado sugar for topping

These apple muffins mix a cinnamon-nutmeg batter with diced apples and a small amount of brown sugar for a soft crumb and browned tops. They bake in a standard muffin tin and are finished with a light sprinkle of sugar for texture.

By Julienne

Cook time: 22 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

300 g all-purpose flour sifted
100 g granulated sugar divided
100 g light brown sugar packed
10 g baking powder
2 g baking soda
4 g fine salt
4 g ground cinnamon
1 g ground nutmeg
85 g unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
30 ml neutral oil
2 large eggs at room temperature
180 ml whole milk at room temperature
10 ml vanilla extract
50 g granulated sugar divided
300 g apples peeled, cored, and diced small
10 g all-purpose flour for tossing diced apples
20 g turbinado sugar for topping

Instructions

Heat the oven to 220 C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 300 g flour, 100 g granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The dry mixture looks evenly combined with no visible pockets of spice or leavening.
In a second bowl, whisk the melted butter, oil, eggs, milk, vanilla, and the remaining 50 g granulated sugar until smooth and emulsified. The mixture looks glossy and evenly blended with no streaks of egg visible.
Toss the diced apples with 10 g flour, then fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture just until the flour is mostly moistened. Fold in the apples with a spatula; the batter should be thick and a little lumpy, not fully smooth. No dry flour remains at the bottom of the bowl, and the apple pieces are evenly distributed.
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the tops with the optional turbinado sugar. Each cup is filled to a similar level and the tops show a light sugar coating if using the optional topping.
Bake at 220 C for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven to 190 C without opening the door and continue baking for 15 to 17 minutes more. The muffin tops are domed and golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. The muffins release cleanly from the liners and feel set rather than gummy in the center.