Apple Muffintops

While Aleks took a long nap due to a nasty cold, Bastian and I made apple muffins for friends who are in need of food and love and good thoughts at the moment. The last of the City Fresh apples were getting a bit mealy, so there was nothing for it but to bake them. I made a test batch the other day for our mother's group where we were throwing a modified and shortened Mother Blessing for our friend (and my doula client). Everyone loved them.

Bastian helped cut up the apples, as there were lots to cut.

I used a recipe from Joy of Cooking (my default), plus a half teaspoon of cinnamon. For Bastian and I's batch, we multiplied the whole recipe by 3 and added some oats and a splash of maple syrup to make sure there was enough moisture to cook the oats well. I could have added more oats, I think, but we ran out. I'll try that next time for sure.
This is our tippled recipe for 3 dozen apple-oat muffins:

Preheat oven to 400°.
Mix together:
5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (we used the last couple of cups of our whole wheat plus unbleached all-purposed white)
2-1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 teaspoons double-acting aluminum-free baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (could be more like 2 full or even 2-1/2 teaspoons though)
whole rolled oats - I think we used about a cup or 2, but you could do probably 3 or more and add liquid accordingly

Beat in separate bowl:
6 eggs (from Grandma & Grandpa's chickens - their rooster, Godfather, died on Sunday - rest in peace Godfather, we ate your the ovum of your hens, which I'm sure you fertilized first)

Add to the eggs:
6 to 12 tablespoons melted butter (we used 8)
2-1/4 cup milk
splash maple syrup - about a tablespoon or 2

Combine the liquid and the dry ingredients with a few swift strokes. Add fruit of choice. Fill well-greased muffin pans two-thirds full and bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Greasing the muffin tins really made me want to get those silicone muffin cups. They would be awesome, I think. Plus that way I wouldn't feel as bad about my muffin tins being non-stick and I could actually use the aluminum hand-me-down tins from my Grandmother.