Eggless Apple Muffins

Easy apple muffins made with whole wheat flour or atta are not only tastier but healthier too..These apple muffins are soft, moist and incredibly aromatic. the apples give a chunky moist taste as well as texture to the muffins. apples and cinnamon always go well together. while baking, your kitchen will pervade with the lovely waft of these apple cinnamon muffins.

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

* 1 cup whole wheat flour/atta, leveled 120 grams
* ½ tsp baking soda
* ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
* a pinch of salt
* a pinch or two of cinnamon powder for sprinkling

Wet ingredients:

* ½ cup warm water, 125 ml
* ½ cup powdered or grated organic jaggery, 90 to 100 grams (you can also add ½ cup sugar)
* 1 large apple or 2 medium apples or 3 small apples, 150 grams apples, peeled, cored and chopped, about 1 to 1.25 cups chopped apples
* ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar or regular white vinegar
* ½ tsp vanilla extract or essence
* 3 tbsp olive oil or any neutral flavored oil or melted butter

Instructions :

* first line a muffin tray with muffin liners. you can also grease the pan with oil instead of using muffin liners.

* take the dry ingredients in a seive – 1 cup whole wheat flour (leveled), ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp cinnamon powder and a pinch of salt .

* sieve the dry ingredients in a dry tray or in a plate. keep aside.

* then rinse, peel, core and chop 1 large apple or 2 medium apples, in small cubes or pieces. sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice so that the apples do not get discolored. this is optional and you can skip it. i did not add lemon juice. preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius

* In a mixing bowl or pan, take ½ cup warm water. you can warm the water on stove top or microwave or in a electric heater.

* add ½ cup powdered jaggery. you can also use ½ cup sugar instead of jaggery.

* stir very well so that all the jaggery is dissolved.

* then add ½ tsp vanilla extract or essence. add 3 tbsp olive oil. if using any other oil, use a neutral flavored oil. you can also use melted butter instead of oil. stir and mix very well.

* now add ½ tbsp vinegar. you can use apple cider vinegar or the regular white vinegar. mix again very well.

* add the sifted dry ingredients.

* with a wired whisk and with light hand movements, stir and mix the wet and dry ingredients together. tiny lumps are fine. don't over do the mixing. depending on the quality of wheat flour, you can add ¼ to ½ cup water to get a flowing consistency in the batter.

* then add the chopped apples.

* again with light hand movements in one or two round strokes, mix the apples with the rest of the batter.

* now spoon the apple muffin batter in the muffin liners till ¾ of their capacity.

* sprinkle some cinnamon powder from top on all the muffins. if you have used sugar, then you can sprinkle some brown sugar from top.

* keep the muffins to bake in the oven at 180 degrees celsius for 25 to 30 minutes. till the tops are browned and a tooth pick inserted in the muffins comes out clean. since the temperatures in all the ovens are not the same, do keep a check while baking. in an OTG, keep on the center rack and keep both the top and bottom heating elements on.

* after 3 to 4 minutes, remove the muffins and place them on a wired rack to cool.

* serve eggless apple muffins plain as a tea time dessert with milk, tea or coffee.