September Cooking - Apple-Pecan Muffins

3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced 

1 cup sugar 

½ cup canola or vegetable oil 

Nonstick spray or paper muffin cups 

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

½ teaspoon salt 

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg 

½ cup milk (whole, low-fat, or nonfat) 

1 large egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature 

1/2 cup chopped pecans 

1. Toss the diced apples with the sugar in a medium bowl. Pour the oil over the top, stir well, and set aside at room temperature for 45 minutes.

 2. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 ° F. To prepare the muffin tins,spray the indentations and the rims around them with nonstick spray, or line the indentations with paper muffin cups. If using silicon muffin tins, spray as directed, then place them on a baking sheet. 

3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a second medium bowl until uniform. Set aside. 

4. Using a wooden spoon, stir the milk and egg into the apple mixture until smooth. Then stir in the prepared flour mixture until moistened. Stir in pecans. 

5. Fill the prepared tins three-quarters full. Use additional greased tins or small, oven-safe, greased ramekins for any leftover batter, or reserve the batter for a second baking. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the muffins have rounded, slightly cracked tops. A toothpick inserted in the center of one muffin should come out with just a few moist crumbs attached. 

6. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Gently rock the muffins back and forth to release them from the tins. Remove them from the pan and cool them for minutes more on the rack before serving. If storing or freezing the muffins, cool them completely before sealing in an airtight container or freezer-safe plastic bags. The muffins will stay fresh for up to 48 hours at room temperature or up to 2 months in the freezer.