Kissabel Apple Rose & Cinnamon Muffins
Since moving to Europe, Autumn has definitely become my favourite of seasons. Australia is a country of evergreen eucalyptus trees, so the beauty of fallen leaves scattered across the landscape in the rich tones of red, magenta, golden oranges, and browns, is not something you commonly see back home.
An autumn walk to the shops becomes an inspiring feast for the senses. Everywhere there is an abundance of colours, the sound of leaves crunching underfoot, the smell of smoke in the air as the fireplaces are lit for the first time since last winter, and the stores are filled with the scent of cinnamon and heartwarming seasonal produce.
It was during one of these recent visits to the local Marks and Spencer store that I first happened to come across these unique kissabel autumn apples. A new variety originally developed in France, they look just so beautiful on first bite and have distinct berry flavoured notes, and a crisp, vibrant, red flesh. With their natural tartness, and a texture that holds together well, these versatile apples can also be used for cooking and baking recipes.
To showcase these kissabel beauties and capture the season, I created these vegan Cinnamon and Apple Rose Muffins. A simple but pretty, fall-inspired muffin recipe to make ready and enjoy fuss-free during your next stroll amongst fallen leaves.
Kissabel Apple Rose & Cinnamon Muffins
A moist, vegan, fall-inspired muffin recipe, using a variety of kissabel red fleshed apples and cinnamon.
- Prep Time30 min
- Cook Time40 min
- Total Time1 hr 10 min
- Makes10
- Serving Size1 Muffin
Ingredients
Apple Rose Petals
- 5 Kissabel Apples
- 0.5 C of Castor Sugar
- 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
Muffin Mixture
- 1 Grated Kissabel Apple
- 250 gms Apple Sauce
- 300 gms Self Raising Flour
- 120 gms Light Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 100 mls Sunflower Oil (plus extra for greasing)
- 1-2 teaspoon of cinnamon (depending on preferred taste)
- 2-3 tblsp Almond or other vegan milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
Optional
- Powdered sugar to serve.
Method
Apple Preparation
Start by grating one of the kissabel apples and setting it aside in a bowl.
Half fill another large microwave-safe bowl with cold water.
For the rest of the apples, cut each apple vertically from the top stem to base and remove hard center parts. Flip each half on its side with flesh face down, and cut approx 2mm thick petal-shaped slices. Place the slices into the bowl of water.
Microwave for 2-3 minutes to slightly soften the petals and make them easier to shape. Drain thoroughly and allow to cool.
Muffins
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease non-stick deep muffin tins with a little oil using a pastry brush.
In a large bowl, stir together the apple sauce, grated apple, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
Sift in the four and baking powder, and roughly combine ingredients till they just come together. Add the oil and a little of the milk and gently combine. The mixture will be thick, and you do not want to overwork it or the muffins will become dense. Half fill each of the muffin tins with the mixture.
To make apple rose tops, toss the sliced apples in ¾ of the sugar and cinnamon mix.
Starting around the outside of each muffin tin, overlap and gently press the apple petals up the side of the muffin tin. Make sure they are just slightly immersed in the batter - enough to hold the petals in place. When the outside is complete, repeat, working your way in until the tops of each muffin are covered in the petals to form a rose.
Once all your muffin roses are done, sprinkle the tops of each with the remaining sugar and cinnamon mixture, then bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
Remove from the oven, and run a small knife around the edges to loosen any petals that may have become stuck. Leave in muffin tins to cool for at least 15mins before removing.
Optional
Dust with a little powdered sugar before serving.
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EQUIPMENT
- MUST HAVE - Deep Muffin Tins x 10
Recipe Notes
- I used a chunkier style store-bought apple sauce which has the consistency of more like an apple pie filling. If you use a smoother compote-like apple sauce, you may not need to add as much milk.
- These muffins store exceptionally well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
- If you are looking for a step by step visual on how to best place the apple rose petals, a bunch can be found on YouTube.
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