Professor Butter Beard’s “Evil Queen”
May I tempt you with an apple?
I have a history with witches. I can still hear Disney’s Evil Queen’s voice hissing to her raven, “It's not for you, it's for Snow White. When she breaks the tender peel, to taste the apple in my hand, her breath will still, her blood congeal, then I'll be fairest in the land!” As a young whipper snapper, I knew exactly the time required to hide behind my father’s chair before the Wicked Witch of the West swept accusingly towards Dorothy in Munchkin land. And then came Angelique. My parents bravely attempted to outlaw the 4pm television viewings of “Dark Shadows,” but I was smitten with Barnabas and Quentin and always found a means of letting them in.
Snow White’s witch even magically slithered into my post-graduate art history studies. It is written that her costume and figure may have been inspired by a column statue at the Naumburg Cathedral depicting Uta von Ballenstedt, the wife of Eckard II, Margrave of Meissen who was widely regarded as the most beautiful woman of Medieval Germany. And when it came to studying film history, I learned that the Queen was the first character to ever speak in an animated feature film. And even more disturbing, she was originally voiced in English by Lucille La Verne, who achieved her voice change for the role of the Witch by removing her false teeth.
Over time, I overcame my apple association with poison brews. Well, there was the time when after my younger brother was diagnosed with an apple allergy, our grandmother made a mock apple pie with saltine crackers. What nasty spell had she woven to create such an abomination? How uneasy it made me feel!
But this apple recipe is solid deliciousness. It is the perfect chance to use the leftover applesauce you made to bake my Honey Applesauce Cake from an earlier post. The oil and the applesauce combine to maintain a moist bite and the cranberries and almonds provide additional tart and crunchy layers of flavor and texture. I can assure you that it will make a wonderful addition to your book of spells.
Spiced Applesauce Muffins
12 Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt
2 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
2 large eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (homemade is best)
1 tsp vanilla paste
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2) Lightly toast the slivered almonds in a non-stick pan and set aside.
3) Line your muffin tin with paper inserts (or make your own with parchment paper).
4) Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
5) In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the brown sugar, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Fold in the dry mix, the chopped cranberries and ¾ of the cup of slivered almonds.
6) Divide the batter among the muffin cups (I use an ice cream scoop) and sprinkle the remaining almonds over the top of the batter.
7) Place the muffins in the oven and immediately turn down the heat to 375 degrees. Bake 20 minutes until top is set and the muffin feel firm.
8) Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes and thenremove them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
