Apple muffins, and then some

This week, I've begun packing up my first apartment with my fiancee.  A month ago, our building sold and since then we've been catapulted into the process of purging, packing, and using up all of our food. 

In the spirit of using up all of our food, I've decided to try and use up all of my baking ingredients.  This is no small feat- believe me when I say I have a lot of crap.  That's what inspired my coconut macaroons.  It's what inspired these apple muffins I'm sharing with you. 

The ability to make up a recipe using what you have left in your house is something that must be developed over time.  You have to find the fine line between creating an oyster cream of celery casserole with a cereal crust (see, FRIENDS, season 10, Rachel's going away party) and dishing up a legitimate dish that someone wants to eat.

So as I was saying, I'm trying to use up ingredients so I don't have to move them.  I decided to create these apple muffins based merely on the fact that I had apple preserves and apples in the house and every Tuesday night, my fiancee John bowls in a league and I send Sugar Lovin treats along. 

Strangely enough, John told me later that they pair well with beer. 

P.S. Note the amount of ingredients I incorporate with the goal of exhausting some lingering items, like flaxseed meal.

Cinnamon Apple Whole Wheat Muffins with Apple Streusel Topping

Ingredients:

1 cup AP flour
1 cup Whole wheat flour
1/3 cup Flax seed meal
2 tsp Cinnamon, divided
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 cup Butter + 2 Tbsp, divided
3/4 cup Brown sugar + 2 Tbsp, divided
2 Large eggs
1 tsp Vanilla extract
3/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Smuckers (R) Cinnamon Apple preserves or good quality apple butter
1/2 Small apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup Rolled oats 


Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 tin muffin pan with cupcake/muffin liners, set aside.  In a large bowl, sift flours, meal, 1 tsp cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.

2. In bowl of mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time and beat until thoroughly mixed.  Add vanilla and remaining tsp of cinnamon.  Mix well.

3.  Add half of flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture and mix well.  Add half of milk and half of preserves, mix well and scrape down bowl with spatula.  Now add half of the remaining flour mixture and mix well.  Add remaining milk and preserves, mix well.  Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until fully combined.

4.  In a small bowl, combine remaining butter & sugar with the apple and rolled oats.  Using your fingers, rub the butter into mixture until it is crumbly and moist.  Using an ice cream scoop, fill lined muffin tins with 1 level scoop of batter and sprinkle with streusel topping.  Place in preheated oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until muffins spring back when touched.   Allow muffins to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool completely. 

Makes 12 muffins.