I think there is nothing I enjoy more than baking with apples. Especially if there is cardamom involved. I adore cardamom, if I haven’t mentioned it before (which I’m pretty sure I have). Not just with apples, it goes pretty much with anything in my book – coffee (!), rhubarb, strawberries, blueberries, cinnamon buns, Semlor, you name it!
Apples always seem to inspire me to bake, and that was definitely the case today. With my fourth book in the making I’ve had almost no time to create new recipes for the blog. I feel like I talk about my fourth book constantly, but it’s pretty much all I can think about at the moment. It’s been so much fun to make, and I’ve learned so much during the process. I can’t wait to share more on this soon!
Anyway, these muffins:
So moist, slightly crunchy on top and just so perfect. The apples are simmered in a mixture of butter, sugar, cardamom and cognac. Need I say more? My kitchen still smells amazing.
SPICED APPLE MUFFINS WITH STREUSEL TOPPING
AND CINNAMON HONEY BUTTER
makes 8 large muffins
INGREDIENTS
Streusel topping
4 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp turbinado sugar (brown sugar works too)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
pinch of salt
2 tbsp (30 g) cold butter
Apple filling
1 large apple
1 tbsp turbinado sugar (brown sugar works too)
1 tbsp (15 g) butter
2 tsp cognac
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
Muffins
1 1/4 cups (180 g) all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup (100 g) light brown muscovado sugar (packed in the measuring cup)
100 g (1 scant stick) softened butter
1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp (100 ml) sour cream (or thick yogurt), at room temperature
Honey butter
5 tbsp (75 g) softened butter (I always use salted but feel free to use unsalted)
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp honey
INSTRUCTIONS
For the streusel topping
1. Stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and press together with your fingers until it reaches a crumbly texture. Put the bowl in the fridge while you prepare the rest.
For the apple filling
1. Peel, core and dice the apple. Put in a sauce pan together with sugar, butter, cognac and cardamom. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium high until apples become slightly soft and the sugar melts, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the muffin batter.
For the muffins
1. Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F). Prepare a cupcake pan with 8 muffin liners (you might get a couple more or less depending on the size of your liners).
2. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat sugar and eggs until fluffy and lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and beat until incorporated.
4. Add the dry ingredients and the sour cream and stir until smooth.
5. Fill the liners about 1/4 full with batter, add some apple mixture to each liner, then top with more batter, the remaining apple mixture and the streusel topping.
6. Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
For the cinnamon honey butter
1. Beat butter, cinnamon and honey until smooth and fluffy. Serve with muffins (preferably while the muffins are still a little bit warm.
Hi Linda!You don't even know how happy it makes me to hear that you are creating a new book!!!Aaaaaaa!!!So excited!I can only imagine what a hard work it is but like you wrote so much to learn from.
I love to cook with apples too and this recipe suits my taste buds perfectly,I accually think they can't wait for me to bake these 🙂 All the best from freezing England xxx
Hi sweet Bea! Aww, you are just the sweetest thing ever. Thank you!! I hope you'll enjoy them and hope we can meet some day. xx Linda
These muffins just scream warm fall days! Or even a cold day and having the kitchen smell of delicious baked goods!
xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com
That's the best, isn't it?! When the kitchen smells of cinnamon and other spices.. love it! xo Linda
I am soooooo excited about your upcoming book! Can't wait!
Amy
Yaaaay! Thanks so much Amy!!
Dear Linda, I can't wait to hear more about your new book! This is so exciting!! And I'm pretty sure it will be amazing, as are your other books. I love your work, it's so inspiring! <3 And these muffins looks so delicious. Kisses from Austria, Judith
Thank you Judith, you are too kind <3 <3
We've been missing your blog posts lately dear Linda but it' s well worth it knowing that you have a new book coming in the process! I'll keep one shelf empty for all your future books, you know what a big fan I am! 🙂 These muffins and photos are amazing, you so effortlessly create the most beautiful setting for your pictures. <3
You are always so kind, Lili. Thank you! I hope you will enjoy my book and I hope you're well. x Linda
Linda your styling of these muffins is absolutely gorgeous, I love it! So rustic and autumnal. Great idea to cook the apples separately first for heaps more flavour, and the streusel topping is the perfect finishing touch. Very exciting cookbook news too!! <3
Thank you ever so much, Claudia!! x Linda
These muffins look amazing. The flavour combinations that you have conjured up are inspiring. I also adore the bowls and plates you have used, I've been looking for something like that for a while. Lovely photos and recipes.
Thank you so much Angela! I'm glad you like it 🙂
Another cookbook? How exciting!! I can't wait to see what you make this time, since Lomelino's Cakes is probably my favorite cake book ever 😀 Love these muffins, perfectly autumnal!
Aww, aren't you sweet 🙂 Thank you June! I hope you'll like the subject of my new book!
Apples are the best autumn fruit. They taste amazing when steamed with spices. I fell in love with cardamom when I spent a semester in Finland, I didn't know so much the spice before, but I see that in Scandinavia is quite popular. These muffins look delicious!
Apples are the best!! That is true, it is very popular in baked goods here! I absolutely love cardamom 🙂 And thanks!
These are so incredibly lovely!
Thanks Tori!
I love baking with apples too! And these muffins sound fantastic. I love the cognac in the apple filling AND that honey butter soooo much! Yum!
Thanks so much, Katrina!! I'm so glad I have a couple of these in my freezer.. x Linda
wow! your work is filled with inspiration. Can't wait to get my hands on your new cookbook 🙂 And those muffins sounds incredible!
Thank you so much! 🙂
Underbara foton! Gillar också kardemumma. Jag har börjat ha en liten gnutta i te ibland också.
Tack! <3 Åh, det låter gott. Måste prova!
Such a lovely way to make the most of the abundance of wonderful seasonal apples! Your styling is a beautiful as ever, Linda! <3
Thank you sweet Louise! <3
Die Fotos sind der Hammer, ich kann mich einfach nicht satt sehen 😉
Liebste Grüße, Sonja
Danke, Sonja! 🙂
How I loooove alcohol in my baked goods! I haven't tried using cognac but I can imagine how tasty it would be with fragrant apples. This is wonderful, Linda, and I'd love to have a patio that looks just like that ^_^
Me too!! It's actually the first time I tried cognac!
Haha, I would love to have a patio like that too… it belongs to the sweet girls of Food Stories!
I adore these muffins, the streusel topping is so tempting!
So glad you like them! 🙂
I really love your work and those look especially yummy. Can I please ask were you got those cute muffin cups with the frilly edges from? I've been looking for something similar in London and can't seem to find them. They look like the same ones used in by a bakery here in London called Peyton and Byrne. Thanks!
Thanks so much! 🙂 I bought them from here: http://www.pandurohobby.se/Katalog/90-Sla-in-Ge-bort/9070-Formar/907005-Pappersbakformar/1/290050-Muffinsformar-basic-24-st-vit
Although they're out of stock now.
Wow, yum, yum, yum!! Love the combo of apple, cardamom and honey butter (!!). Apples always have me running to the kitchen, there's really nothing like a warm quick bread with soft and sweet apples. Your photos are absolutely stunning as well, I will no doubt be running to get some apples to make these muffins soon!
It really is a great combo! Apples truly are the best.. And thank you so so much!
I love streusel so will definitely give this a try!
Let me know what you think! 🙂
Wow! This looks so good, that I am going to try it – although my husband is a little bit skeptical if his recipe can top your double chocolate/banana one.
Just a question, as we live in Germany, can you tell me the fat % of the sour cream you used for this? I do not want to use the wrong ingredient..
Many thanks and looking forward for your new book!
Greetings from Germany,
Claudia
Hehe, well, if he's a chocolate person, these might not be what he wants… Let me know what you think if you give them a try!
The fat content of sour cream is around 12%.
Thanks and best of luck!
Your pictures are so beautiful! I have to try the recipe! 🙂
Thanks Vera! They're really good 🙂
These muffins looks so yummy!
Your pics are amazing.. as usual!
These muffins looks so yummy!
Your pics are amazing.. as usual!
Thank you!! 🙂
I have been following your blog for a while now though I have never commented. I wanted to let you know that I think your photography is absolutely stunning. I love the way you incorporate nature into your pictures, the flowers, the leaves, the fruit, it's all beautiful.
Thank you soo much Fida! That means so much to me <3
I made these yesterday for a dinner party and they were absolutely gorgeous! I didn't have any muffin cases, so I used some cupcake cases (made 12 cakes) and they were divine! A huge hit; warmed along with the the honey butter and some vanilla icecream! Such beautiful pictures as well; I'm in love with all your recipes <3
Thank you so so much for your sweet comment! So happy you enjoyed them <3
Hi Linda, I made these this weekend for an event and everybody loved them! did it with calvados instead of cognac though… I just tried one now that I hide for breakfast and love the cardamome-apple relation! 🙂 thanks so much for this recipe!! Finally an apple muffin that touched my soul 😉
Thank you so much Michaela for your super sweet words! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 Calvados sounds amazing with this!