Apple Muffins with Maple Glaze & a Word on Christmas Birthdays

So, I've probably mentioned this several hundred times already over the course of this blog, but Christmas season is an especially busy season in my family. It begins with my birthday in early December, and ramps up quickly to my Father's birthday on Christmas eve and my sister's birthday on Christmas day. And let's face it, when your born so close to to the biggest Australian holiday of the year, you can tend to feel a lil bit forgotten. So before we get on to our Christmas feasting, let me take a couple of paragraphs to indulge in discussing two members of my family.

My father, Peter, shares as great a passion for food as i do, and recently he's taking more and more leaps in the kitchen and churning out dishes that are absolutely fantastic. His tangy pork curry is the most delicious curry I've ever tasted, bar none. I won't divulge his secret recipe here... yet! In some ways dad is the realist of the family, and we've always made jokes about his notorious thrift. But lets face it, together my parents brought up three kids, all of whom are successful! And when i look back at the mounds of presents i got every year on every occasion, the food we ate, the houses we lived in, i realise that the only thrift my dad ever really showed was personal sacrifices he made for the sake of his children. Thanks Dad!

My sister, Melinda, is the eldest of three siblings, and has blazed the path for my second sister and myself. First to move out of home! First to get married! First to have a baby! And she's done it all so easily, as though it were no trouble at all. With strong convictions, and a flair for some unusual inventions (orange lemon cordial anyone?) my sister is also a great cook; my favorite is her Asian style pork neck (ooh and cold chicken with chili sauce). But she's also a great mum, a great hostess, a great nurse, and has that rare gift of actually listening to you when you need someone there.

So, here's to two members of my family, who although their birthdays may get caught up in the Christmas storm, are never forgotten in my mind or heart.

Ingredients

Muffins

• 2 large granny smith apples
• 1 cup oats
• 12 pecan halves
• 1 egg
• 1 1/3 cups self raising flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 large pinch nutmeg or cinnamon
• 2/3 cup sugar

Glaze

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees
Grease a 12 hole muffin pan
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cinnamon/nutmeg, flour, oats and sugar.

Melt the butter and leave to cool slightly.
In another bowl combine the butter, maple syrup, milk and egg

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.

Peel the apples and dice into 1cm cubes

Stir the apples through the mixture

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin, filling the holes until almost full but not quite

Transfer to oven for 12-18 minutes or until they test done.
Leave in trays for 10 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool.

When the muffins are cool, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan
Heat over low heat until the sugar is dissolved

Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the muffins
Leave for 20 minutes for the glaze to thicken slightly
Enjoy