Apple Cider Muffins – Quick & Easy

This recipe for Apple Cider Muffins is so easy. However it does need a little explanation. Apple Cider is not something that we really know in the UK. It is the unfiltered, unsweetened, juice from pressed apples. It is very common in North America. Similar, of course, to apple juice it is very tasty indeed.

In the UK cider, made from apples, is an alcoholic beverage and is not the same thing at all. Hard Apple Cider is the alcoholic version in North America.

So this recipe uses apple cider. However you could use unsweetened apple juice instead. That would work very well indeed.

One further thing to mention, about the apple cider, is that I used 300ml(1 1/4 cups) and I boiled that to reduce the volume to 120ml(1/2 cup). That was to concentrate the apple flavour. However the recipe will work very well indeed with just 120ml(1/2 cup) and not boiling it down. In the recipe below I do detail reducing the apple cider, but it you are just using 120ml(1/2 cup) you can skip that step.

This is a very easy recipe, as is common with most muffins. Simple mix dry ingredients together and then mix the wet together too. Then add the wet to the dry and combine them. That is all there is to it.

However for an extra touch brushing some melted butter over the cooled muffins and dipping the tops in spiced sugar adds another great touch. Just to finish them off.

There will be leftover spice sugar which can be stored and used in another recipe.

My Bake

I baked my muffins for 20 minutes. They rose nicely and domed on the top. I removed them from the oven and left them in the pan for 5 minutes. Then I transferred them to a wire rack to cool. I brushed some melted butter on the top of each muffin and dipped them in spiced sugar. For a couple that I baked without paper cases I actually brushed butter over the sides and sugared them too.

The muffins tasted so good. The fruity apple flavour melded so well with the combination of spices. The sweetness of the spiced sugar added to an already very tasty muffin.

They are just perfect for a lunchtime treat or even for breakfast on the run.

Another easy recipe is Quick & Easy Apricot Scones

Apple Cider Muffins – Quick & Easy

Recipe by geoffcooCourse: MuffinsCuisine: North AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

22

minutes

Ingredients

• 250g(1 2/3 cups, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour

• 350g(1 3/4 cups) caster sugar, divided into 200g and 150g.

• 8g(2 tsp) baking powder

• 3g(1/2 tsp) salt

• 2 medium eggs(large in USA)

• 300ml(1 1/4 cups) apple cider(or apple juice)

• 60ml(1/4 cup) milk

• 30ml(2 tbps) vegetable oil

• 56g(4 tbsp) melted unsalted butter

• 6g(2 tsp) ground cinnamon

• 3g(1 tsp) ground nutmeg

• 1.5g(1/2 tsp) ground allspice

• 1.5g(ground cardamom

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F
• Line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper cases, or grease and flour the cups.
• Place the apple cider into a saucepan and heat until boiling, then gently boil until the liquid reduces in volume to 120ml(1/2 cup. Mine took about 7 minutes.
• Mix the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom together.
• In a large bowl place the flour, baking powder, salt and 200g of sugar. Then stir to combine.
• Add 2 tsp of the spice mixture and whisk to combine.
• In another bowl place the eggs, milk, oil and apple cider and whisk to combine.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together until the flour is just about fully combined. Do not over-mix.
• Spoon the mixture equally into the the 12 holes of the muffin pan.
• Bake the muffins for 20 to 22 minutes, until they have risen and a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean.
• Remove the muffins from the oven and leave them in the pan for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the cooling muffins to a wire rack.
• Mix at least 1 tsp of the remaining spices into the 150g sugar(you can use all the spice if you wish), and stir to mix through.
• Brush melted butter over the top of the muffins(one the side too for those without paper cases).
• Dip the muffins in the sugar to coat the tops(and sides for those without paper cases).
• Serve as desired. Excess spiced sugar can be saved for use in another recipe.