Apple Cider Muffins

Saturday I celebrated one more year of being on this earth by learning the difference between Double Red Delicious, Standard Red Delicious, and Starkey Delicious.

And all I can remember is that they’re all delicious. Like really delicious.

I also learned that bees LOVE apples. Who knew!

It all started when I woke up bright and early and went to Los Rios Ranchos with a group of friends to get my apple pickin’ on. We picked apples, ate apples, contemplated paying a dollar to go through a corn maze, decided not too, then drank lots of beer and had a long lunch.

It convinced me that parts of being a grown-up are pretty dang fun.

And then when I got home with too many apples to stuff in my face, I realized I needed to put ’em to good use.

I decided that putting them in muffins, along with some apple cider, would be a pretty good idea.

And then I found out that I was right.

These muffins are a total keeper. They’re not super sweet, have little hints of apple and cinnamon, have awesome texture and keep for more than just a day.

Aren’t baked goods that only last a day kind of a drag? I mean, I love muffins but I can’t eat twelve in one day. So it’s kinda nice they’re still amazing and moist after a few days.

That translates to me eating a few muffins with my morning coffee and eating a few with my evening tea. Total win.

Apple Cider Muffins

Recipe from The Craft of Baking

Unsalted butter, for the muffin tin (optional)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)

3 large eggs

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup apple cider

3/4 cups sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 crisp baking apples, such as Granny Smith or Mutsu, peeled, cored, coarsely grated, and drained, juices reserved and used as part of the cider measurement

1 tablespoon Demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil. Add the eggs and whisk to combine. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a third bowl, whisk together the apple cider, sour cream, and vanilla.

Add one third of the flout mixture and one third of the apple cider mixture to the sugar mixture, folding with a spatula just to combine. Add the rest of the flour and cider mixtures in two additions. Fold in the grated apple, and then divide the batter evenly among with prepared muffin cups, filling each cup three quarters of the way. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the Demerara sugar.

Bake, rotating the muffin tin halfway through, until the muffins spring back to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Then turn out the muffins from the pan and let them cool completely on the wire rack.

These muffins are best the second day and will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.