I looked at some very sad looking apples in my refrigerator drawer and decided something needed to be done with them. So I was on the hunt for something to bake.

I wasn’t in a pie mood, so I was looking for a cake or muffins, and below is a very nice recipe from one of my favourite, go-to cookbooks.

The cookbook, “The New Canadian Basics Cookbook” is one that I got early in my cooking years, and it has been the source of some of my biggest hits, including the best coleslaw ever.

This recipe is yet another simple, quick and delicious recipe, and the book always provides for variations to make finding alternative ingredients and ideas easy.

Unfortunately, the recipe didn’t call for nearly enough apples, so coming up soon…apple chutney!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup peeled, chopped apples
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1 tbsp lemon juice or grated rind

For optional topping combine:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in fruit.

In separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil and lemon juice. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.

Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling almost to top. Add topping.

Bake in 400F oven for 20 to 22 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Makes about 12 muffins.

You can substitute blueberries or chopped cranberries tossed with 1 tbsp sugar for the apples.

Excerpted from The New Canadian Basics Cookbook.