Apple Cinnamon Cottage Cheese Muffins

What you need

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup diced apple (peeled)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

The easy way

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine the cottage cheese, egg, maple syrup, and melted butter until completely smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg together.
4. Pour the blended wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Toss the diced apples with lemon juice to prevent browning, then fold them into the batter.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
6. Bake for 22-26 minutes until the tops are firm and spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing. Refrigerate leftovers promptly as the cottage cheese content requires cold storage after cooling.

Use your senses. Times are guardrails. Look for the color, texture, and doneness cues in the steps, and refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly.