Good morning! This Tuesday feels like a Monday to me — after such a relaxing long weekend it’s time to get our head in the game again. Are you ready to conquer the week? I’m feeling like I need a couple warm up laps before starting off.

It was so nice to unwind this past weekend!  I hope you had a wonderful Family Day as well. I was on the island, jumping in rain puddles and chasing after chickens. What did you get up to?

Today’s treat is a recipe for one my favourite breakfast muffins. Sweet with a savoury pinch, these muffins use ordinary household ingredients and can be whipped together in a couple sleepy slipper shuffles.

If you’re like me and perpetually have a block of some sad aged-cheddar cheese in your fridge, a couple of apples rolling about and some leftover coffee sitting unloved in a french press, this one’s for you.

The muffins are so yummy. They are moist, with a smooth apple flavour that embraces the sharp cheddar taste so welcomingly. I made a batch of these muffins on Sunday and packed them for my girlfriends to munch on while en route to our weekend cabin destination. (Thank goodness for the muffins because we missed the ferry! Muffin saviours.)

Apple Cheddar Muffins

Yield: 18 muffins. Bake Temp: 375 F Bake Time: 20-25 mins.

Ingredients:

3 cups tart apples (or your favourite kind!) 
-Approx 3 med sized apples
1/2 cup white sugar (first amount)
1 tbsp cinnamon (first amount)
1/4 cup chopped and roasted walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar (second amount)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (second amount)
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup strong coffee

Directions:

1. Butter or line muffin tins with paper cups. Preheat oven to 450. Rost pecans/walnuts for 3 mins or until golden. Keep an eye on them! Cool nuts on tray. Lower oven temperature to 375 F.

2. Peel and core apples. Chop into tiny bits. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon (first amounts) onto diced apples. Stir in cooled roasted nuts. Set aside.

3.  Cream butter, 1/2 cup sugar (second amount) and eggs.

4. Sift dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom. Add dries to butter/sugar cream and mix gently until combined.

5. Stir in chopped apple, cheese, coffee and almond extract.

6. Fill muffin cups full of batter (for big muffins) or 3/4 full for tiny muffins (like mine!). Depending on your taste (do you like  muffin tops!?) (I do…)

7. Bake muffins for 20-25 mins on 375 F or until browned gently. MMM enjoy the aroma of baked apple bliss!

And there you have it. I hope you enjoy your morning snacks. There is nothing like a good muffin (top) to nibble on with some freshly brewed dark roast!!

I hope you have a wonderful week ahead with some renewed vigour after your weekend off. What are your plans? I am looking forward to doing some Valentines themed baking later on this week. I can’t wait to share some great recipes with you (so that you can bake them for your sweethearts)! :)

PS: Little spine-tingling love notes for Valentines.

PPS: I got a little romantic this weekend on the shores of English Bay (!)

Love,

Blue Owl