Cheesy Apple Mini Muffins

I was reading the Aug/Sept 2015 Parent & Child magazine given to me by my daughter's Kindergarten teacher and noticed this recipe for Apple Cheese Muffins.  It looked very easy to make even for a novice baker such as myself.  I decided to mark the page and make it as an evening activity I can do with my 3 and 5 year old.  I knew any baking that results in anything cupcake shaped would be something my kids would want to do, but for the taste I wasn't so sure.  I mean cheese and apples??

Well...as I type this post I can tell you that we did bake this last night, and we don't have any more left.  Yup, all 24 mini muffins have disappeared.  I was lucky enough to be able to steal some muffins under my kids' noses for their lunches.   My kids L-O-V-E-D these muffins! It's so quick and easy to make that I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

Ingredients:  

1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I didn't have this on hand, so I used canola oil)

2 lightly beaten eggs

1 Granny Smith Apple, finely chopped

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F 
• Coat a 24 cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray (I used two 12 cup mini-muffin pans and canola cooking spray)
• Whisk the flour, baking power, and salt in a large bowl. (This will be the bowl you will put all the ingredients in.)
• Whisk the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and 2 lightly beaten eggs in another bowl. (So, you need 2 bowls. One for your dry ingredients.  Second for your wet ingredients)
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Whisk until mixed.
• Fold in the chopped apple pieces and  the Monterey Jack Cheese.
• Spoon into the pan and bake for 24 minutes

Things your little one can do:

• With your supervision measure out the ingredients and add into the bowls.
• Whisk the dry ingredients.  
• Whisk the wet ingredients.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry bowl
• Add and mix in the apple pieces and cheese
• Spoon the mixture into the baking pan

This recipe was great because it allowed both my kids to whisk separately.  My older daughter took care of the wet ingredients while my son took care of the dry.  My daughter then helped me pour her wet ingredients into my son's bowl. They each took turns mixing the apple pieces and cheese into the mixture.  Both then happily spooned the mixture into their own mini-muffin baking pan.  My kids were so proud and took ownership of each baking pan they were assigned to.  After I placed each pan in the oven they even sat in front of the oven watching their muffins rise and bake.

Source:  Parent & Child Magazine  Aug/Sept 2015 Issue p 96