Mapley Apple Oat Muffins

Yesterday I mentioned that there might be another apple post coming. Guess what? It’s today! These cinnamony apple oat muffins are like sunshine on blazing red and orange trees, like a day spent in a big bulky sweater picking apples at the orchard, like a cup of hot tea in front of a fire….you get the idea. Made with maple syrup, these aren’t overly sweet. If you know that you like your muffins to give you a sugar buzz, feel free to add a couple of tablespoons of straight old sugar to the wet ingredients. These are among my favorites of fall muffins, and I hope you like them, too! They are especially delicious with a cup of tea in front of a fire after a day picking your own apples in a beautiful orchard with trees flaming with color, if you hadn’t guessed where all that was going.

Mapley Apple Oat Muffins
Makes 12

Muffins:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oat flour*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup (I love grade B for baking)
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon maple extract

Topping:
3 tablespoons old fashioned oats
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon canola oil

In a small bowl, make the topping. Combine all ingredients and set aside. Oil a muffin tin. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to mix. Stir in the apple. In a large bowl, combine the soy milk, vanilla, maple syrup, apple sauce, canola oil and extract. Whisk to mix, then add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix together gently, adding a bit more milk if needed to form a thick batter. Spoon into muffin tin filling cups nearly full. Sprinkle tops of muffin with about 2 teaspoons of topping. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack in the tin for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove muffins to the rack to cool.

*For oat flour, just grind 1/2 cup old fashioned oats to a flour consistency.

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