During the holiday season I consume more than my fair share of cookies, cakes, and treats. Even when I am on a healthy eating kick, I still like to have things that are homemade and that come in the form of a baked good. Not all baked goods have to be unhealthy, right? A few simple swaps and you have made something that can be on the notsogood side really sort of well, healthy. I love whole wheat pastry flour as a replacement for white flour. It seems like when I use all whole wheat flour, whatever I am making turns to rocks and I need to cut it and use white flour anyway. But whole wheat pastry flour is much lighter in texture and I love the texture that it gives in a muffin or cookie.

Every once in awhile, my husband and I will have a morning when the kids are in school and he has a little extra time before he needs to be at work. We like to go to Old Town and have breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien. I love that the coffee is served in bowls. They have a muffin with these flavors and I love it, so I came home and tried to make my own version. Not only did I succeed, but I think that I might like these better.

If you are doing some holiday baking, then head over to Hodgson Mill to enter their Baker’s Holiday Gift Pack Sweepstakes. They are giving away 50 holiday packs of flours, mixes, all kinds of fun stuff. There are good coupons over there too.

2 cups Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup Biscoff spread
1 cup apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, peeled, and chopped
2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, add milk, sugar, oil, eggs, and Biscoff.

Combine the wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Lumps are okay, we want a light and tender muffin, and this is the key.

A tip for removing hazelnut skins, roll the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel. The skins will peel off.

Fold in the apple and hazelnuts.

Scoop the batter into a muffin tin lined with paper liners.

Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

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Apple Biscoff Hazelnut Muffins

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Ingredients

• 2 cups Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 Biscoff spread
• 1 cup apples, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, peeled, and chopped
• 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar (optional)

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, add milk, sugar, oil, eggs, and Biscoff.
2. Combine the wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Lumps are okay, we want a light and tender muffin, and this is the key.
3. A tip for removing hazelnut skins, roll the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel. The skins will peel off.
4. Fold in the apple and hazelnuts.
5. Scoop the batter into a muffin tin lined with paper liners.
6. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar.
7. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

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