Ingredients
¼cupwalnuts,chopped
¼cupgranulated sugar
1tspcinnamon
1½cupwhole wheat pastry flour
1cupall-purpose flour
1½tspbaking powder
½tspbaking soda
¾cupgranulated sugar
¼tspkosher salt
2tspcinnamon
¾tspground cloves
¾tspground ginger
¼tspnutmeg
2tsporange zest,(from about 1 large orange)
2large eggs,beaten
1¼cupsbuttermilk
¼cupapplesauce
5tbspbutter,melted
1tspvanilla extract
¾cupwalnuts,chopped
Preparation
Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine the ¼ cup of walnuts, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, nutmeg, and orange zest.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The batter should be mostly combined with a few streaks of flour.
Add ¾ cup of walnuts, stir until incorporated. Do not overmix the batter, or it will result in dense muffins.
Fill the muffin cups to the top with batter. Sprinkle with walnut and cinnamon sugar topping.
Bake for 18 minutes until the muffins have crested over the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. They may show a combination of loose sugar and melted sugar.
Serve warm with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey, and enjoy!
