Apple Walnut Muffin with a twist

An apple a day keeps the doctor away is a saying we have all heard growing up. Bake with apples and bake these delicious apple walnut muffin! So no body can send you on a guilt trip of making unhealthy baked goodies. Read this post and you will know why. Now our humble apple has quiet a lot of controversy associated with it. We have the Adam & Eve apple where it is rumoured to have all began. Then we have Snow White, the seven dwarves and the poisoned apple which we have all read in fairy tales while growing up. Interestingly apples have a lot of history attached with them.

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Apple Fun Facts

Various researchers have found that the origin of apples can be traced back to the mountains of Southern Kazakhsthan, where wild apples called Malus sieversii still grow. The city of Almaty a.k.a Alma ata in Russian derives both its names from apple related literal meanings
During the Soviet era, the popular belief was that the Russianized name of Almaty, Alma-Ata, translates as “Father of apples,” from “alma” (apple) and “ata” (grandfather).

However some suggest that“Almaty” may have derived its name from the Kazhak word Almatau meaning “apple mountain” or may simply mean “apple-y” – as in the adjective form of “apple” – but either way, the fragrant and tasty fruit very much stays in the picture.
(Source: https://m.economictimes.com/magazines/panache/apples-werent-always-big-juicy-sweet-a-brief-history-of-this-fruits-evolution-from-its-ancient-roots-in-kazakhstan/articleshow/90909559)

In the early 2010’s, a team of international plant geneticists published some interesting apple findings in the journal Nature Genetics. According to them,the wild ancestors of apples, Malus sieversii which still grows in mountain forests of modern day Kazakhstan today, gave birth to the apple that we eat today millions of years ago.

They also suggested that the cataclysmic mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs some 66 million years ago (the famous K-T mass extinction for us geologists) , triggered a genetic response in the humble apple that allowed it to survive all the atmospheric and environmental adversities. (Source:https://eurasianet.org/southern-kazakhstan-truly-the-father-of-apples)

Now that are somethings that really makes you think! Apples it seems were truly created with a higher purpose in this universe. Even an asteroid strike ( many research proposes to have triggered the KT mass extinction event) which wiped out nearly 80% of all species of animals could not deter the path of the apple tree in this world and its hypothesized role in human evolution(the adam and eve story!) (https://www.britannica.com/science/K-T-extinction).

Apple Walnut Muffins

Back to this posts main topic, the healthy apple walnut muffin that I baked recently. Apple tea cakes are a family favourite ever since we had a near miss at the iconic Margaret’s Deck on our last last years annual family trip to Darjeeling. Last week after returning from our Anniversary trip to Goa, there was an obvious slump in the general mood. So to give an upward swing to our lips, I thought of baking these apple walnut rosemary cupcakes. To make them a bit healthier, I reduced the sugar to nearly 1/3rd of the normal amount, and swapped the butter with olive oil. The olive oil was the result of a health and nutrition related conversation that me and didi had that afternoon. The cupcakes turned out pretty well and it was very unusual for us that we did not click even a single photograph! To compensate I am sharing a few clicks from Darjeeling.

However I jotted down the recipe and proportions before I forgot it. I hope to take the photos next time that I bake them.

Health Benefits of Apple muffins

You may ask that what are the benefits of apple muffins? Well apples are amongst the healthiest fruits loaded with pectin soluble fibres, vitamins and , minerals. Research claims they may aid in weight loss as well as support gut and brain health. Read more about the health benefits of apples here. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-apple.

Enjoy these cupcakes with your tea or coffee and do let me know how they turned out.

This post is part of #BlogchatterA2Z challenge and this is the A post.