Apple cinnamon bran muffins

What a fabulous morning for baking. I love getting back from the gym, worn out in a good kind of way, and starting on a baking project. Of course breakfast and a shower come first but after that I’m all over the kitchen!
This morning I went back to what is probably my favorite muffin recipe. It comes from Farmgirl Fare, the first food blog I ever read regularly. I was searching for a bran muffin recipe online a few years back and came across Farmgirl Susan’s Basic Bran Muffin. These beauties are 100% whole grain and use simple, un-messed with ingredients. The basic recipe is easily modified for any fruit or flavor you’re craving and I’ve always enjoyed how the amounts of each ingredient are easy to remember. These muffins have big crusty tops but are moist inside and taste so good you’ll forget how much fiber is in them! I’ve made a blueberry version of these several times, a simple raisin version, and a ginger pear version. Today I decided to give apple cinnamon a try.
Last weekend Lee and I picked about 11 pounds of apples at Biscay Orchards down the road. We’ve been snacking on them all week and I’ve been trying to decide what to bake with them. We picked about half Macintosh and half Cortland. Of course I had to make some muffins and my favorite bran muffin recipe came to mind as a good backdrop for apple and cinnamon. Perhaps later in the week I’ll make something more ambitious. A pie, tart, or cake maybe?
For now, enjoy these perfectly moist, cinnamony goodies crammed full of apples!

It came to my attention, after baking these muffins, that a bunch of bloggers are celebrating fall by posting apple-related recipes today! Just my luck! Here is my contribution to Fall Fest (see A Way to Garden to find out more).

Apple Cinnamon Bran Muffins
Adapted from Farmgirl Susan’s Basic Bran Muffin

2 cups wheat bran
1 cup oat bran
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon, or more, cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup yogurt + applesauce (The original recipe calls for yogurt. I subbed 1/2 cup applesauce for part of the yogurt this time)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons sweet molasses or cane syrup (The original recipe calls for 1/3 cup. I cut back so the molasses flavor wouldn’t mask the cinnamon too much and because agave is already really sweet)
1/3 cup honey (I used agave)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

2-3 medium-sized apples, depending on how fruity you like your muffins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine wheat bran, oat bran, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix eggs, milk, yogurt, oil, molasses, honey, and vanilla if using.
Chop apples finely. I left the peels on, cut the apples into small pieces, and then pulsed them in the blender a few times.
Fill 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners, silicone cups, or a little oil. This makes 12 really big muffins so the cup will be really full. You could also make more, smaller muffins if you prefer.