If you’ve spent any time near an orchard in the months of September and October anywhere in the Northeast, you know that it’s prime time—and by prime time, we mean super busy—to pick delicious, locally grown apples. But the question remains: What do you do with all those apples once you’ve got them home?
For inspiration, we went straight to the source. Lyman Orchards has an incredible history in the area that dates back to the 1700s—there are 10 generations of farmers in the family—and their Middlefield, CT location includes everything from apple picking (there are 30,000 trees!) to a corn maze and nearby golf course and pub.
They shared a recipe with us for apple muffins developed by Marc Gadoury, the chef at the Orchard’s Apple Barrel Bakery.
Apple Muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
2 cups Ida red apples, diced
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cups butter soft
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
- Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon
- Dust apple with a little flour.
- Cream butter and sugar, about 3 minutes
- On low speed, add 1 egg at a time. Mix well, about 5 minutes
- Add ½ cups milk and vanilla. Mix 5 minutes on low
- Make topping – Mix: ½ cup sugar, ½ cup butter, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon till combined
- Sprinkle topping on muffins before you place in oven
- Bake at 375 until done, about 30 to 40 minutes.
