COLUMN: Muffins smooth out the cereal rut
Do you ever find yourself getting stuck in a rut?
Maybe it’s a relationship rut, or a fashion rut, or just an all around life rut? I think I’m in a breakfast rut right now. Every day for breakfast I eat cold cereal. It’s an easy rut to fall into, especially for students with early morning classes or work. Sometimes it feels like it just takes too much extra work to do anything but eat cereal. That’s why I’m liking the idea of muffins these days.
Muffins are portable, versatile and delicious, and when you make them on a Sunday afternoon they don’t add any extra time or effort to your Monday morning routine.
And you know what’s so great about these apple cider muffins? They actually taste like apple cider. I know what you’re thinking — “No way.”
But reducing the cider makes its flavor concentrated —or stronger — and when you bite into one of these muffins you will get that tangy sweet apple taste. Trust me.
No need for soggy cooked apple chunks. Unless you’re into that sort of thing. These are bound to please, and they include all the flavors of fall.
Apple Cider Muffins with Cinnamon Crumble
For the Muffins:
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup apple cider, the real stuff that you have to shake before drinking
1/4 cup buttermilk
For the Cinnamon Crumble:
4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter
To make the muffins, start by reducing the apple cider. Place it in a small saucepan, over medium-low heat and let simmer gently, reducing to 1/4 cup. This takes about 15-20 minutes. Set reduced cider aside. (Note: if you want to put a cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves in with your apple cider while it is reducing, this will add extra spice to your muffins, not to mention make your house smell heavenly while you wait.)
Meanwhile, in a medium-sized mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes, or until it becomes fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
Combine the buttermilk and reduced cider with butter-sugar mixture. (Note: if you don’t keep buttermilk on hand it’s really easy to make your own. Just put about a teaspoon of white vinegar into whole milk and let sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the batter.)
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until combined. It’s okay if there are lumps, it’s worse to over mix the batter than to under mix it, because it will make the muffin crumb tough and chewy instead of tender and moist.
Fill 12 greased or paper-lined muffin tins just over halfway full with batter and set aside while you make the topping.
To make the cinnamon crumble, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut the butter into little pieces and add it to the flour mixture.
Use a fork, butter knife, pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the flour and sugar until a crumbly mixture — a streusel — forms.
Distribute the streusel evenly over the muffins (about 1 heaping tablespoon on each).
(Note: if you want to make a healthier version of these muffins, leave off the cinnamon crumble and replace half of the butter with applesauce. This will also add to the apple flavor of the muffins.)
Bake at 350 F for 5 minutes, then turn the oven up to 375 degrees and finishing baking until the muffin tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean, about 12 minutes. (Note: if you want to add nuts to the crumble, chop and toast them ahead of time and then stir them into the crumble after you’ve already cut the butter in.)
This recipe should yield 1 dozen muffins.
– Jennelle Clark is a senior majoring in psychology, who runs the online food blog foodislikeart.blogspot.com. She loves making, eating and sharing her food. Send comments to jenn.wilson@aggiemail.usu.edu