100% Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

In preparation for fall, I decided to make Apple Muffins. I feel very blessed since I was able to enjoy the berry season in Oregon, and now I get to enjoy the extensive variety of apples in upstate New York.

This recipe is adapted from King Arthur's whole wheat apple muffins but I modified it to make them 100% whole wheat and to be naturally sweet.

When shopping for whole wheat products, be careful when looking at ingredients list printed on the product. If it says wheat flour, it is not whole wheat flour but the highly processed wheat known as white flour. Wheat flour just tells us that wheat is used to make the flour used in the product, it doesn't tell us if the entire wheat is used.






Taste:
This lightly sweet muffin is perfect for breakfast. The sweetness from the date is evenly distributed throughout the muffin. The bit size apple pieces and few pieces of dates that did not get incorporated into the batter gives bursts of flavorful sweetness. It makes certain bites a nice surprise.

The cinnamon plays a nice role in matching the flavor and sweetness from the apples and dates together. And of course it makes them smell undeniable.

For a sweeter muffin, agave does the job nicely by not overpowering the other flavors in the muffin.

Texture:
This muffin is very moist because of the apples and dates. By not peeling the apples, the apples hold its shape and gives a better texture. Unless you like a more soft-mushy texture, peel your apples so it can cook more easily. Although it is moist, it will be a bit dense and hearty because only whole wheat flour is used.

The muffin can be a bit dry if not stored airtight properly after a day. But if you heat it up for a few seconds in the microwave, it will be warm and moist again. It will be a bit crumbly.

Here are the modifications to the original recipes:
Sugar: Eliminated. therefore the sweet crystal crust on muffin top is also eliminated.
All purpose flour/white flour: Eliminated.

Cinnamon: Reduced amount from 3 teaspoons to 2 teaspoons to not overpower other flavors.

Buttermilk: Increased the amount by 1/4 cup to add moisture to whole wheat flour.

Dates: Dates replace sugar as the sweetener. It brings additional flavor and moisture.
Whole wheat pastry flour: Replaces All Purpose Flour.
Apples: 2 medium sized apples unpeeled if a light crunchy texture is desired when biting into a piece of apple and if you want to see pieces of apples throughout your muffin better. Peel if you want a softer and more moist texture.
Agave (optional): Agave is an optional and additional sweetener to the dates. It is used to moisten the flour and for extra sweetness if one desires. This was used in my first batch. It is recommended if you want your muffin to be more like a treat. Honey can be used instead.

Dry Ingredients Wet Ingredients

4 oz (1 cup) Whole Wheat Flour 5 oz Dates, mashed well

4.5 oz (1 cup) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour 1 tablespoon Agave or Honey

1 teaspoon Baking Soda 1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter

1 teaspoon Baking Powder 1 1/4 cup Buttermilk

2 teaspoon Cinnamon 1 Egg

1/4 teaspoon Salt 2 medium Apples, cored and chopped into 1cm pieces

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare 18 cup greased muffin tin or line with cupcake liners.

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon). 

In a separate bowl, mash dates with a fork very well to form a paste. A blender can be used to make the paste. Add agave to the dates to make it easier to blend or mash. Once a date paste is made, cream butter together. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the buttermilk gently. Don't overmix or buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.  

Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula until just mixed then fold in apple chunks. 

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven, cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a rack to finish cooling completely. Yield: 18 muffins.