Recipes: Cinnamon Apple Kefir Muffins

Ok, so we all love a yogurt or granola bowl for breakfast BUT there’s something comforting about having a lush bakery style muffin with your morning coffee…(occassionally). These muffins are absolutely delicious, soft and moist, full of warm cinnamon flavour, packed with juicy, sweet and tangy apples and finished with a cinnamon sugar topping. This recipe is wholesome and filling, quick and easy to prepare and the addition of kefir adds to both the texture and taste of the batter. As kefir is fermented and cultured it creates a lighter and wonderfully moist crumb. We used a mix of green and red apples for this recipe, as a combination of at least two or three kinds is a good way to get a more complex flavour. We suggest using Braeburn, Granny Smith, Fuji or Golden Delicious. Perfect for snacking anytime of the day, these muffins keep soft and moist for a few days so you can really extend that joy for a little bit longer. Scroll for recipe below..

Ingredients:

makes 6 medium-large muffins

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour + 1 tbsp for coating apples

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 diced apples (2 cups)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs (room temperature)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup kefir milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180c. Generously butter the muffin tin.

In a bowl mix buckwheat and all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Set aside.

In another bowl, toss the diced apples with the 1 tablespoon of flour and rub in the lemon juice using your hands. Set aside.

Using a handheld mixer, cream together butter and sugar for roughly 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in vanilla extract.

Using a spatula, fold in a third of the flour mixture into the butter mix, alternating with a third of the kefir milk. Keep adding until all combined. Remember not to over mix. Fold in the diced apples.

Using a tablespoon scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, filling about 3/4 full. (You can use muffin cases for this recipe, to create bigger sized bakery style muffins).

Bake for 30 minutes.

Whilst the muffins are baking away, prepare the topping for muffins. Melt the butter in a small saucepan until light golden brown. In a small bowl, mix together ground cinnamon and granulated sugar and set aside.

Once the muffins have baked, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in the muffin tin. Use a pastry brush, dip into the melted butter and brush the top of each muffin and sprinkle the sugar mixture on top.

Take out of the muffin tin and let cool completely on a plate or wire rack & finally… Enjoy!