Apple cranberry muffins and good/bad decisions

There are moments in life when we make certain decisions because they seem so right, but in the end they are incredibly wrong – I’ve watched “Water for Elephants” and I’m sure Christoph Waltz is feeling oh, so miserable right now. I don’t mean to be rude, but he should have known better: one does not choose Francis Lawrence over David Cronenberg – the horror, the horror – especially if they’re going to work with Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson. :S

Unlike Mr. Waltz, I am feeling oh, so smart: I decided to add dried cranberries to my apple muffins and that was a very clever thing to do. ;)

Apple cranberry muffins
adapted from the beautiful Nigella Kitchen

2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
2/3 cup (116g) light brown sugar, packed
½ cup honey
¼ cup (65g) plain yogurt
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 cup (110g) dried cranberries
demerara sugar, for sprinkling
about ½ cup whole almonds, toasted

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a 12-hole muffin pan – 1/3 cup (80ml) capacity each – with paper cases.
Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, honey, yogurt, butter and eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and lightly whisk with a fork – do not overmix or your muffins will become tough. Add the apples and cranberries and mix slightly. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle each muffin with some demerara sugar (about 1 teaspoon per muffin). Place 3-4 almonds on top of each muffin and bake for 20 minutes or until risen and golden and skewer inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans, over a wire rack, for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the muffins to the wire rack and cool completely – or serve warm.

Makes 12