Gimme s’muffins!

Three stages in the life of a Tasty Muffin:

Full of delicious promise, which will undoubtedly be martyred all too young…

The devouring begins. Here we have said muffin exposing its guts. For shame, Tasty Muffin. Have some decency.

Untimely death! Or, the good ones always die young. But oh how happy you made us, Muffin Friend!

Naturally you understand the progression for an Untasty Muffin would be radically different, and rather more drawn out. In extreme cases, it may even involve mould (though in truth I have never been known to let any muffin, tasty or otherwise, go uneaten long enough to grow mould).

Should you care to make your own, these are Apple and Cinnamon Muffins with a yummy crunchy nut topping. They started out from this recipe, which was itself adapted from something else, but I changed them because I had different ingredients, so here’s my version:

Ingredients:
110g or 1 cup white self-raising flour
60g or 1/2 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
100g or 1/2 cup sugar (I used a mixture of brown and white)
50g or 1/4 cup margarine
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 small apples, finely sliced
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

For the topping:
30g sugar (about 1/8 cup)
25g / 1/4 cup nuts chopped (I used walnuts but I think pecans may be nicer here)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp oil

Makes about 12.
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180 C / 350 F. Line a muffin tin with muffin cases.
2. Mix all the topping ingredients together in a bowl, ensuring they are fully combined.
3. In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients for the muffin mixture (flours, sugar, cinnamon and salt).
4. Next add all the wet ingredients (egg, milk, margarine) and stir to combine.
5. Fold the apples into the mixture.
6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and sprinkle some topping over each muffin.
7. Bake for between 20 and 25 minutes, and allow to cool before removing them from the tins.