Apple Sour Cream Muffins

I think summer is a distant memory here in the UK, a sure sign last night when I felt cold for the first time in a while and asked hubby to get the open fire going in the living room! I love autumn and September heralds the beginning of my favourite season and everything it brings. The night's drawing in, the leaves changing colour and falling from the trees, cooking more soups, casseroles, and hot puddings. Not to mention taking long countryside walks on a Sunday, wearing jeans, jumpers, fluffy socks and my Ugg boots, lighting candles of an evening and lighting our open fire and sitting next to it with a good cookbook, cuppa and my cats by my side. Autumn also brings Halloween and Bonfire Night, which I really enjoy each year and where I have lots of fun in my kitchen baking up lots of treats. Apples are in abundance during these autumn months and there are so many delicious recipes that you can bake using the many varietys available at this time. If you ever have apples that need using up then this is the recipe! These muffins are the easiest and best Apple Sour Cream Muffins ever. A tender, moist sour cream batter which is home to chunks of diced apples and topped with a hint of cinnamon and an apple slice. Stir up these delicious muffins for a weekend breakfast or anytime you fancy your kitchen smelling like a bakery. Wishing you all a beautiful Autumn season!


Apple Sour Cream Muffins

Makes 24 muffins (but I ended up with 33)

Ingredients

1 cup or 2 sticks butter
1 3/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

3 apples, diced

1/4 cup milk

Topping (optional)

2 tbs sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

slices of apple

Preheat the oven at 180oC/160oC fan/400F. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy before blending in the eggs and vanilla. Sift in the dry ingredients, mix well before adding in the sour cream and blending. Fold in the diced apple by hand and add in the milk as needed if the batter is too stiff. Scoop into muffin liners. Dust with the cinnamon sugar mix and top each muffin with a slice of apple. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops of the muffins spring back when touched.