Apple and Sultana Muffins

When the Little People finish school for the day they are always without fail completely, ravenously hungry. Every single day, it's always the same. They come trudging out of the school doors straight on the scrounge for food. Heartfelt declarations of starvation. So I try and give them something to eat that's reasonably healthy, but not too filling before dinner. It's not always easy to get the right balance. Sometimes they'll be content with fruit, sometimes I'll give them cheese, a slice of buttered fruit bread, or a scotch pancake. Today I decided I would bake them something wholesome and yummy to fill the hungry gap between school and dinner.

As soon as I began to think about what to bake, I immediately thought about a muffin of some sorts. It ticks all the right boxes. It is filling, easy to transport and eat, and healthy ingredients can be incorporated by stealth. However, I don't have a good track record with muffin making. In fact, I don't think I've ever in my life made a successful muffin. My muffin making usually ends in disaster, with flattened, rock hard, inedible lumps sitting heavily in their pretty paper cases.

But I do posses an optimistic nature, and I felt ready to give it another go. I thought about what muffinish ingredients I had in the house and what sort of muffins I could attempt. Hmmm...no carrots, no lemons, no berries of any sort. Sultanas I had, plus a bowl of sweet apples. So I googled those ingredients and landed on this recipe. It looked straightforward. Simple even. I had all the ingredients (well almost, I did have to twiddle it a bit) and I began to feel quietly confident.

Muffin making basically involves assembling a bowl full of dry ingredients (in this case flour, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon) and a bowl full of wet ingredients (milk, oil and eggs) and mixing the two together to form a stiff batter. The wet ingredients go into the dry ingredients, it's always that way round. There is then some debate about how much mixing should be done. Some recipes tell you not to over mix, to merely stir-to-combine. This particular recipe instructs to "mix well", so that's what I did. Gave it all a good ol' stir around with my pink spoon.

The apples were grated and the sultanas thrown in, then more stirring. It was all pretty easy really, but still I began to feel a tad nervous. I had this sinking feeling that I might've over mixed the batter, that another disaster was in the making.

But nothing to be done other than give it a whirl. Twelve cupcake cases were put in a tin and liberally filled with the mixture. Into the oven for twenty five lengthy minutes.

I paced a bit with my timer. I suddenly felt that I would be unbelievably hacked off if this all went belly up. Plus, I would be without a snack for the after-school feeding frenzy which would be no good at all.

When the timer went off, I ran (literally) to the oven, crouched down and opened the door just a tiny smidge to get a glimpse of the muffin success/fail. I just needed to know if they had risen. I was so nervous!

This is what I saw.....beautifully risen, lightly golden muffin tops smiling out at me.

Yeeeeehhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I made muffins! I made fluffy-puffy muffins with a good chance of being edible!!

A really, seriously happy moment. I whooped a little.

They were obviously hot coming straight out of the oven but I could not resist trying one. I really, really wanted to see if the inside was as light and fluffy as I hoped it would be.

Well my lovelies, I can tell you that these Apple and Sultana muffins were an outstanding success. They came out just right. And furthermore, the Little People really enjoyed them. I asked them what they thought and they were pronounced "well good", which in Yorkshire translates as Most Excellent.

Pheww. Who knew that baking for one's children could be so fraught with nervousness?

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Comments

[Karen B]

What a lovely life you have! A husband you enjoy hikes with, the love of little ones, hobbies you are really good at, a lovely home in the north of England, beautiful parks to enjoy.... I haven't read all your posts ,yet, but this American granny from the South (with English ancestry) is quite taken. On a humid 90-degree day your blog is refreshing!

[Amber teething necklace]

Wow! looks realy tasty...mmm

[Michele Marsh]

I did blueberry muffins for my big teenage hungry one, after a gruelling science exam... nothing like a yummy cake to greet them at home!
Love your blog x

[Bonnie Katschanow]

Thanks, Lucy. I added dried cranberries to the raisins and apples and it still turned out great. Hate to grate, though.

[ines]

Hi Lucy! thanks for sharing the recipe! I made them with my 20 months old boy. He did the mixing with the spoon. Not a pink one I'm afraid ;)
And yes, they came out well and tasty! I used honey instead of sugar. Even my little boy likes these muffins! such a succes. I also try to keep him away from comercial sweets and cookies, so every homemade cake, cookie, snack with no or little sugar he likes, is a winner. Raw apple pieces are very in favor at the moment also.

[wife2curt]

Hello, I found your site about 6 months ago while trying to figure out the Jan Eaton wave pattern. I finally did figure it out but it took forever. I just love your blog and the way you have it set up. I also love the colors that you use in your home. It looks cheerful and cozy and a wonderful place to be. One more thing before I go. You have a great eye for photography as well as color, you are so talented. Thanks for taking the time to include us in your day.

[Anna]

Yummy cakes!!! We also make same kind of pie, filled with apples sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, but this one is a big pie :))) Oh.. I just wished to bake something so much! Thanks for a lovely yummy post:)

[Sandra Licher]

The muffins turned out great! Pat yourself on the back and I know about children....they're a tough crowd at times....glad it went well for you!

[Sarah M]

I gave them a go without the wholemeal flour and they are delish!! So much so I made a second batch...ha. My work colleagues will be happy tomorrow. :) Thanks for the recipe suggestion. xx

[Elizabeth Hansen]

Bravo, Lucy! Whoo hoo! I can nearly smell them all the way over here in Pennsylvannia!

[Maria]

thaks for sharing, i made these today and love them, not too sweet until you bite a juicy sultana. I didn't even bother to peel the apples and you couldnt tell! simples!

[Lynn]

I have just made these whilst dinner was cooking. Really quick and easy to make and have received a big thumbs up from my eldest boy, success!! Yummy with a cuppa too, so it's a winner all round, thanks Lucy! Lxx

[Sonia Petitpoint]

They look great and delicious ! Congratulations !

[MsBittyKnacks]

They look so yummy :p

[Liz Bewell]

My kids love them too. Not many left now!!

[Eleanor]

Hello

I love that you have had long awaited muffin success! I too have an invisible barrior in this area!

I have been reading your blog and others for a while and have been inspired to give it a go. Please would you cast your experienced eye over it if you have time and let me know what you think?

http://stitchesandseeds.blogspot.co.uk/

Eleanor x

[Michelle]

They look so tasty, made me hungry lol. Will definately make then.

[Joyce Stewart]

They look really good and boy do I remember that hungriness of the kids when back from school - but their school was 10 miles away so a round the roads bus journey made them even hungrier!
One day they will thank you for feeding them healthily - they don't care at the moment but will in later life.

[Taciana simmons]

Hi Lucy, I was introduced to your blog by a friend about a month ago... Once I took a look at your projects I fell in love with crochet again... I have Crochetted since I was five ( I'm 50 now... Not that anyone was dyeing to know :)) and I have never loved to crochet as much as I do right now ... Your work and your pictures are such a great inspiration. Every time I have a break I want to look at your projects... You motivated me so much that I even started my own blog, which I have been wanting to do for at least 5 years ... I have been kniting for 10 years and this month i have hardly touched my knitting because i have love crocheting. So this comment today is not only to say you are a great artist and you have impeccable taste for putting colors and fibers together, but to say THANK YOU. It is amazing how close i can feel to someone who lives in the other side of the world. thank You, thank you, thank you for all the great inspiration . I'm your fan!

[Maggie Cawthorn]

A real success ... I doubt you had time to find out but I suspect they probably tasted even better on day 2, as the apples often make cakes more moist as time goes on. Perhaps we should try a batch and then not eat them for 2 days ..... or maybe not!

[Ger]

Thanks for that recipe link. I made those muffins this evening and they are really yummy. I made some before but they were not as good as these. Love your blog

[Simone]

Mmmmmmmmmmmm they look absolutely delicious, what time should I be round for a tasting...Jokes! Well done Lucy I love a good win like that. However your Lemon Drizzle Cake always looks amazing so I think you are a wizz in the kitchen. As always, thank you for once again a delicious insight to your day, now where did I put my muffin tins. Simone x

[Donna]

Gorgeous! Good for you! :)

[Sarah M]

I'm obsessed with making banana muffins at the min, so will have to give these a try to shake things up a bit. Just out of curiosity did you use wholemeal flour or did you go for regular self raising?

[Ella]

I try just once to make muffins, and as you said, they never come up so beautiful like yours, but tomorrow I will try your new recipe because they look mmmm really wonderful