Recipe Review: Whole Wheat Apple Muffins from Smitten Kitchen

I recently ran across this recipe for Whole Wheat Apple Muffins from Smitten Kitchen, and what do you know!  I had buttermilk in the fridge, and no desire for pancakes or biscuits in my heart.  This recipe is simple and easy and delicious and yields deliciously, unbelievably moist muffins

Modifications: I used spelt instead of whole wheat flour because I have been trying to use up ingredients from my pantry.  This also meant I used 1.5 C whole flour and 0.5 C all purpose flour rather than a fifty-fifty mix.  The muffins were distinctly whole, but no less delicious.  I also decided not to peel the apples--the peels get so soft that they do not detract from the finished muffins and add all the healthy peely goodness.  If you include the brown sugar topping, I would call this dessert; without, it is still hearty and sweet and would sit well on a breakfast plate.  And I think I could cut the sugar even further and not miss it!

(The only problem I had was difficulty getting the muffins out of the silicone muffin cups intact.  I did not spray or grease them, however, and the baking time may have made the minis too dry and the regulars too wet.)

The recipe as I made it:

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Preheat the oven to 450°F

Mix together the following dry ingredients:

1.5 C spelt flour
0.5 C all purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 T cinnamon

In a stand mixer, cream until fluffy:

1/2 C butter (room temperature)
1/2 C white sugar
1/4 C brown sugar

Then add:

1 egg

Add and mix GENTLY to avoid curdling:

1 C buttermilk

Add the dry ingredients, mix to form the batter, and then add:

2 large apples, cored, and coarsely chopped

I got 12 regular muffins and 15 mini muffins, so be prepared to fill up to two muffin trays! Bake for 10 minutes and then lower the heat to 400°F.  I baked them for an additional 7 minutes at the lower temperature.  I believe this was a tad too much for the mini muffins and a tad too little for the regular ones, so staggering start or stop times may be a good idea.