Ginger-Apple Muffins

I started a tradition at work by bringing cookies every Friday. One of my coworkers said that she liked that idea so much that she was inspired to start bring baked goods every Monday. She usually brings some sort of bread or coffee cake. So now we look forward to baked goods twice a week. It really makes going to work enjoyable.

One Monday my colleague wasn’t going to be able to bring something, so I volunteered. I had been gone from work, away attending conferences, and I really wanted to bake something. So I decided to bring the Monday treat. I wanted to make some sort of muffins. I don’t often bake muffins, coffee cake and the like, which is too bad because they can be really fun to make. I decided to make these ginger-apple muffins.

This recipe comes from the cookbook of the North Idaho Bed and Breakfast Association. My husband and I had visited Coeur D’Alene, Idaho last fall and had the greatest time at the American Country Bed and Breakfast. We’ll certainly go there again! While we were there we picked up the cookbook for the local B&B association. These muffins were from another B&B, but I figured they would be excellent. I love apples and I love ginger, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong. These were simple to put together and had a good flavor. They didn’t brown very much, so it was a little tricky to know when they were done. The recipe suggests serving these with honey butter, which would be great!

1 cup milk
5-1/2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
3-1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-3/4 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons ginger
2 apples, peeled and diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 24 standard muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla. In another bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and ginger. Add the apples and toss to combine. Add the dry mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients and blend together, using as few strokes as possible.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins. Bake 15-20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in the center. Immediately remove the muffins from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Recipe from The Ponderosa Bed and Breakfast, Inn-Credible Edibles: The North Idaho Bed and Breakfast Association