Hello Pesketeers, have you missed me?
At the end of December last year, I decided to put my recipe book away for a bit to focus on other projects. I wasn’t planning to be away for quite so long though, I can’t believe it’s now October! Where has the time gone?
However, I return with an apology gift of gooey, spicy, yummy, sweet, Caramel Apple Muffins. So I hope I’m forgiven. I wont be posting new recipes every week like I did before, my posts will be more sporadic. But rest assured I’ll still be here, cooking and baking away in the background and sharing my best recipes with you all.
These muffins have been in my back catalogue for a while, I just hadn’t got round to posting about them. So I thought, as Autumn is well and truly here and Halloween and Bonfire Night is just around the corner, when better to bake a batch of these? It is Caramel Apple season after all!
They store really well for a few days in an airtight container, and I imagine they’d freeze well too (though they’ve never lasted long enough in my house).
I use Carnation Caramel, as it’s easy and tasty. But feel free to use whatever caramel you prefer. You could even have a go at making your own if you like.
Enjoy everyone.
Ready in 40 mins (10 mins prep, 10 mins to cook the apples, 20 min bake) – makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 large cooking apple
- A knob of butter
- 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar + a handful for the topping
- A pinch of mixed spice
- 150mls of soured cream (you’ll find this with the fresh milk and cream products in the supermarket)
- 100mls of oil (vegetable or olive, but not one with a strong flavour)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 free-range eggs
- 275g of plain flour
- A pinch of cinnamon
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 250g of golden caster sugar
- Half a tin of caramel (I’ve used Carnation)
- A handful of rolled oats
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 200c / 180c fan / gas mark 6.
- Wash, core and dice the apple, there’s no need to peel.
- Put the apple in an oven proof dish and add the butter, the tablespoon of dark brown sugar and the mixed spice and mix well so the apple pieces are well coated.
- Bake for 10 mins.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the soured cream, oil, vanilla and eggs.
- Sift in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder and mix well.
- Mix in the golden caster sugar and the cooked apples.
- Turn your oven up to 220c / 200c fan / gas mark 7.
- Lay out 12 large muffin cases in a muffin tray and spoon the mixture evenly into each one. Fill them almost to the top.
- Place a heaped teaspoon of caramel in the centre of each filled muffin case, and using a toothpick or skewer (I used a chopstick), swirl the caramel into the centre of the muffin mixture.
- Sprinkle the rolled oats and the rest of the dark brown sugar on the top of the muffins.
- Bake for 5 mins.
- Then turn your oven down to 200c / 180c fan / gas mark 6, and bake for a further 15 mins, or until risen, firm and golden brown in colour.
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