I love Monkey Bread, so I decided to make my Monkey Bread into individual muffins. Since they are loaded with brown sugar and cinnamon, I decided to add apples and walnuts, which have the perfect combination of flavors.
You and your kids will love making these delicious Apple-Walnut Monkey Muffins, and they are so fun to eat.
Let’s BAKE!
INGREDIENTS
APPLE-WALNUT FILLING
1 tablespoon butter
2 apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 72 pieces) (about 370 grams)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (60 grams)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (50 grams)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
COATING
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100 grams)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
MONKEY MUFFINS
1/2 cup butter (114 grams)
2 cups unbleached flour (250 grams)
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (26 grams)
1/2 cup sugar (100 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (240 ml)
DIRECTIONS
APPLE FILLING: Preheat oven to 375-degree F. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a skillet on medium heat, add apple pieces, chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook 2-3 minutes until apples get slightly al dente. Place apple mixture in a bowl to cool; set aside.
COATING: Mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon in a ziplock gallon-size bag; set aside.
SCONES: Grate 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter and put in freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in frozen butter. Add buttermilk to flour-butter mixture, fold with spatula until just together (do not overmix, the dough is very loose).
On a floured board pat dough into a 12″ x 4″ rectangle. Cut dough into 12 one-inch strips; cut each strip into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place 8 pieces of dough, at a time, in brown sugar-cinnamon in ziplock bag; shake to cover pieces. In a 12-cup muffin tin, place 4 pieces in the bottom of each muffin cup. Spoon about 1 Tbsp. apple-walnut mixture (3 apple pieces per muffin cup). In each muffin cup, add 4 more pieces of dough, covered in brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. Distribute remaining apple-walnut mixture (including juices) evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake at 375-degrees F. for 20-25 minutes (until centers are no longer squishy). Cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes. Invert muffin tin onto a platter, leaving muffin tin on top to let the butter and juices redistribute in the monkey muffins; let cool completely, remove muffin tin. Turn muffins right-side up. Serve and enjoy!
