Fall is a time that apples, pears, pumpkin, and butternut squash take center stage.  Many times I want them in the form of something slightly sweet that will be utter perfection with a cup of coffee. 



I have had this recipe for a long time now, and finally got around to making it this weekend.  I am so glad I did; it's definitely one for your muffin repertoire. 



They're more like a muffin ought to be than so many other muffins around.  They're not cake in disguise; they're lightly sweetened and their texture is just a little more muffin like (I should be paid to write such amazingly descriptive prose).  It's soft but sturdy.  My own descriptive shortcomings aside, these are wonderful muffins.  They're moist and full of apple chunks, and if you do lightly sprinkle the brown sugar on top, you have a nice crunchy-soft contrast that doesn't form a shell that will crumble and end up in your lap, but instead is quite a pleasure to munch.



Whole Wheat Apple Muffins
from King Arthur Flour, via smittenkitchen.com

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour (or line) 18 muffin cups and set aside.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.



Notes

• I tried to be extra careful, and the mixture still curdled.  I forged on ahead and still came out with a great muffin.  I am unsure as to how this may have affected texture or outcome. 
• Maybe it was me, but the batter was very viscous and "fluffy" but did not rise a ton.  That said, you can almost fill these muffin cups up and get a perfectly sized muffin.  I filled most of my cups about 2/3 full and ended up with 21 small muffins.  Next time I will take the smaller number and bigger muffin.