Carrot, Apple + Pecan Crumble Muffins
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Recipe type: Baking
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6 - 8
 
Beautifully moist muffins so wholesome you could eat them for breakfast, packed flavour and spice. The crumble topping is what really makes these - buttery, slightly sweet and crunchy in contrast to the sultana studded filling.
Ingredients
For the topping
  • 25g wholemeal or wholemeal spelt flour
  • 15g cold butter, cubed
  • 1 heaped tsp light brown muscovado sugar
  • 2 tbsp oats
  • 1 tsp pecan halves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp sunflower seeds
  • 1 tsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp water
For the muffin mix
  • 100g wholemeal spelt flour
  • 50g white spelt flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 80ml groundnut oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 75g light brown muscovado sugar
  • 45g caster sugar
  • 1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
  • 1 small apple, skin on, coarsely grated
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 50g pecan halves, roughly chopped
  • 50g sultanas
  • 25g unsweetened dessicated coconut
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C and line an 8-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, butter and sugar, rubbing with your fingertips to create a crumbly mixture. Stir in the oats, nuts and seeds followed by the honey and water. Stir to combine into a wet, slightly sandy mix. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, tipping any bran left in the sieve back into the bowl.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs and sugars. Whisk in the carrot, apple and vanilla extract then fold in the pecans, sultanas and coconut. Fold in the flour mixture, making sure not to overmix - a slightly lumpy batter is fine.
  5. Divide your batter between the paper cases then scatter the crumbly topping on top. Bake for 22 - 25 minutes or until the topping is crisp and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  6. Remove the muffins from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. The muffins are delicious warm but taste even better after a couple of hours once the flavours have started to meld. Will keep in an airtight container for 2 - 3 days.
Notes
Barely adapted from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook.
Recipe by thelittleloaf at http://www.thelittleloaf.com/2015/09/09/carrot-apple-pecan-crumble-muffins/