Like me.  My husband doesn’t DO Valentine’s Day.  Quite frankly, I’m not too bothered by it either.  So, there were no flowers or cards, no dinner at a fancy restaurant and no box of chocolates.  Instead, it was a normal work day and the end of it a home-cooked dinner, cats on laps and our favourite programmes on television.  And that was fine by me!

On Ilse Cooks The Books, however, February is the month of muffins.  Today’s recipe combines the fresh flavour of apple, with a surprising note of thyme.

LANDBOU BOEREKOS – APPLE AND THYME MUFFINS

Who in the world doesn’t like apples?  I’ve said before that apples are the most boring fruit in the world, but it’s definitely crisp and refreshing on a hot summer’s day.  But would I pick it out of a fruit bowl if there were other options like, say for instance, nectarines? Grapes? Even a sweet, juicy pear?  Definitely not.

However, apples really come into their own in baked goods and desserts.  Like this muffin recipe.  Add to it an unexpected savoury note of thyme, and you’ve got a winner.

Makes 12 muffins

2 red apples, halved

500 ml self-raising flour

125 ml light brown sugar

5 ml baking powder

250 ml buttermilk

80 ml olive oil

2 beaten eggs

20 ml thyme leaves

Glaze (optional):

250 ml icing sugar, sifted

15 water mixed with a few drops of lemon juice

Extra thyme leaves to garnish

Preheat the oven to 180?C and buttering a muffin tin or spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. 

Peel, core and roughly grate three of the apple halves.  Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder in a mixing bowl.  Add the buttermilk, olive oil, eggs, grated apple and thyme to the flour and mix until just combined.  Spoon into the muffin tin.  Core the remaining apple half, cut into paper-thin slices and arrange on top of the muffins.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes until golden brown and done.  Allow to cool, or serve lukewarm.  

If you prefer to glaze the muffins, mix the icing sugar, water and lemon juice and drizzle over the muffins.  Decorate with a few thyme leaves.  I would have loved to glaze them, but was out of icing sugar.  Bummer.

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ooOoo