Weekend baking with your son : Spiced Apple Muffins

One jolly little muffin, with serried ranks of muffin-ness behind

Hubby and I had been discussing the issue of Son & heir's breaktimes when at school.  Or, more specifically, what he is eating at said breaktimes.

I had found myself falling into a trap of simply getting a cereal biscuit bar from the cupboard and sending him off with that.  Now, okay, the cereal biscuit bars I had chosen weren't the worst in the world, being low in fat and sugar, but then they weren't great either.

So I resolved that as, for the next few years, I shall be responsible for what goes into him at times such as this, I'd better get my act together and provide something "healthy", or watch him disappear into obesity - which is a family trait.

I think the slide into grabbing something from the cupboard is a symptom of my gradual slide towards ill health, as it is infinitely easier to spend the few seconds doing so than fixing up a healthy snack which inevitably takes longer and costs more to me in energy etc.  However, I can't help but think that it costing me in energy etc., is probably a good thing as opposed to a bad thing - even though it may hurt like hell in the long run.

Now I won't claim to have hit upon the answer, but this is a topic upon which I shall be returning to for regular performance reviews.  (Oooh, that takes me back to working for the Civil Service and their regular performance reviews.  ~shudder~).

The programme I'm working to at the moment, is fairly easy.  Well, it has to be really.  In the same way as I meal plan for each week, I shall snack plan too.

So, here's how this week is shaping up :

Monday : Spiced Apple Muffin

Tuesday : Peach

Wednesday : small pack of plain savoury biscuits

Thursday : Spiced Apple Muffin

Friday : Apple

On the occasions when I haven't been able to bake, I'll break out the cereal biscuits.  However, I'm aiming to change the plan to include three items of fruit in a week - but I've got to go slowly, or there'll be complaints!

The plain savoury biscuits are one section from a Party Snack Pack.  Each section is easily cut away from the rest and as the biscuits are baked, not fried, and don't contain cheese, I figure they're not too terrible at 114 calories a section.  The crackers are mainly a selection of wheat, sesame and poppy seed crackers and at £1 for a pack of eight sections, it's pretty darned economical, too!

So, from reading along, I'd say you've probably guessed what this recipe is all about - the Spiced Apple Muffins.  They've got to be healthier than the cereal bars, and even if they're not, at least I know exactly what went into them!

Don't worry if you don't have a set of American style measuring cups - just use a teacup! So long as you use the same cup throughout, you'll be fine.  Try to resist sprinkling more sugar on their tops - it's nice, but it's just more sugar.

We made these together, in that I cut up the apples and son & heir did everything else - including licking the bowl clean.  Well, it just has to be done when you're 12, doesn't it!

SPICED APPLE MUFFINS (makes around 12)

Ingredients :

2 cups grated apple (did mine in a food processor : 1 bramley, 1 cox, 1 gala!)

2 cups plain flour

half a cup of sugar

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch salt

half a cup of raisins

half a cup of dessicated coconut

half a cup of vegetable oil

quarter of a cup of olive oil

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

3 eggs.

Method :

1.  Pre-heat oven to 180deg C.

2.  In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.

3.  In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs and oil together.

4.  Add the oil mixture and grated apple to the dry ingredients and stir until it has all combined.  Don't over-stir.

5.  Spoon into muffin cases and bake for approx 20-25 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.