Fabulous Apple Crumble Muffins packed full of fibre!

Everyone loves a good muffin don't they?

And everyone likes to be healthy, right?

So, hows about we combine the two?! Best idea ever? ..... quite possibly!

Now, be under no illusion, these muffins may be good for your bowels, but they are still quite high in fat and sugar, so dieters beware (don't fret though, I'll include tips on making them muffin top friendly!)

These muffins were a bit of an experiment of mine, combining a basic muffin recipe and adding a few tweaks here or there. The result is a moist, fruity muffin, packed full of flavour and full of wonderful fibre, so it's good for you!

These babies look so good I could just stand there taking pictures of them all day (but where's the fun in that when you don't get to eat them?!)

The main point of these is the fact they're made with wholemeal flour, which, as well as adding a rich, rustic texture, it means they're soooo much better for you than the ones you get in certain coffee chains. Also, the extra fibre means they're more filling so keep you satisfied for longer -and who doesn't love to be satisfied?! ;)

I bet you're sat there thinking "Hurry up woman and show me how to make them!" well, I shall keep you waiting no longer!

Ingredients:

175g Demerera sugar

175g apple, grated (I used Bramley)

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

125ml buttermilk

100g plain white flour

100g plain wholemeal flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

1 tsp cinnamon 

For the crumble:
50g wholemeal flour

50g butter, cold.

50g demerera sugar

25g porridge oats.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 220C (200C if using a fan oven), gas mark 7.

To make the crumble, grab a bowl and mix all the ingredients together. Make sure you use your (clean!!) hands to rub the ingredients together 'til they form a lumpy, crumb-like consistency (see photo)
Don't forget to add a healthy dash of cinnamon!

For the muffins:Grate the apple roughly and combine with the sugar.

Then, mix in the egg, vanilla extract and buttermilk. 

When this is all combined, add the flour, cinnamon, bicarb and baking powder and stir with a silicone spatula 'til it's all nice and combined

.
Once it's mixed in, transfer into lined muffin cases, top with a generous sprinkling of the crumble topping and bake in the oven for about 15-18 minutes. They are done when the tops spring back slightly.

When they're done, transfer to a wire rack and cool. Then, enjoy!!

Hints and tips:

*Most fruit can be used in this recipe, but rhubarb and banana work particularly well. For a nice alternative, try pear with nutmeg instead of the cinnamon.

*If you haven't got buttermilk, use 75ml sour cream and 75ml semi skimmed milk, it works just the same.

*To make the muffins extra healthy, use 200g wholemeal instead of half and half. The muffins will be denser and not as moist, but they will be super healthy and filling.

For the purpose of this blog I also made a batch of the 100% wholemeal muffins:

As you can see, they're darker in colour and not so well risen. Still 100% tasty though!

This is a comparison between the two from the inside:

Wholemeal muffin

50/50 white and wholemeal

They'll keep in an airtight box for a couple of days but can be frozen for up to a month.
Try them warm with some jam!


To recap:
Rub together the flour, oats, butter and sugar until crumbly in texture. Set aside.
Mix the apple with the sugar until just combined, into which, add one egg, vanilla extract and the buttermilk.
Gradually add the flour, cinnamon, bicarb and baking powder. Combine well.
Transfer into lined muffin tin, top with the crumble mixture and bake at 200C for 18-20 minutes.

Enjoy!