Here’s a simple delicious recipe for Apple Brown Butter Bouchons. You may know them as ” Donut Muffins “, a cross between a donut and muffin, and baked rather than fried. They come together quickly and easily.
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting the Hansen family- founders of Hansen’s Green Bluff Orchard. They have been growing apples in Green Bluff for over 25 years. How connected they are to the earth and its cycles, how rooted and grounded their beings are. A life spent outside growing, in this case, amazing apples, seems to grow amazing people too. I was touched by their genuineness, their vibrancy, their wisdom and humility. I left feeling inspired by them and their by their creative expression of life, and have thought much about them this week. One thing they said that that I can’t stop thinking about, is that an important part of the growing cycle includes the long winters rest.
A quick note on the recipe: These are basically apple muffins that taste like donuts. Think of them as apple donut muffins. They are good with morning coffee or served as dessert. I call them “bouchons” because I used a bouchon mold instead of a muffin tin. Bouchon means “cork” in French- and the molds are more tall and skinny than a muffin tin, cork-shaped. But a muffin tin will work great too.
The apple muffins are baked in the oven, popped out of the tin, rolled in warm brown butter and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. It’s impossible to have just one.
Rod and Derrick Hansen of Hansen’s Green Bluff Orchard
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Apple Brown Butter Bouchons
Apple Bouchons- delicious “donut muffins”!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 8-10 1x
- Category: dessert
- Cuisine: French
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 large apple- diced (honey crisp, empire, pink lady)
- 1 T butter
- 1¾ cup Flour
- 1½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ⅓ cups Oil
- ¾ cups Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- ¾ cup Milk
- —–
- Brown Butter topping
- ¼ cup Butter
- ⅓ cup White Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat 1 T butter in a medium skillet and add diced apples. Saute on med heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, combine oil, sugar, egg and milk.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir only to combine. Fold in apples.
- Pour into greased Bouchon molds or cupcake or muffin tins.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- For the topping, brown the butter over medium heat in a small pot until golden brown, nutty and fragrant. Combine sugar and cinnamon in bowl.
- Shake Bouchons or muffins out of the tins while still hot.
- Dip muffins in brown butter, then into the sugar-cinnamon mix. Let cool.
I am rating this recipe 4 stars for ease of completion and taste but there have been issues with baking times. I used small size silicone 8 hole baba pans and was able to get 12 bouchon. However the first time after removing the cakes after 20 minutes they were not fully baked. The second time I baked the batch of 12 for 30 minutes which seemed to be fine. Wondering if the silicone pans we’re what required the longer cooking time. Stove temperature did not seem to be the issue
★★★★
I’m wondering if these could be adapted to use fresh cranberries in place of, or in addition to, the apples. Would I need to add more sugar to the muffin recipe?
Thanks!
I think it sounds great! Yes, perhaps a bit more sugar?
Will these freeze well??
That is a great question Melissa, and I have no idea! Never tried freezing them. Im sorry…no help at all!. If you do try, would you let me know what you think?
I am curious as to the bouchon pan you used, is it silicone or metal? I have considered WS silicone or the Nordicware metal.
I have both kinds…I think I used metal for this though.
Thank you! I generally am not a big fan of baking in silicone so i need to purchase the actual bouchone baking pan, I do have a nice popover pan but I like that the bouchon pan doesn’t have a bit of tapering which makes these muffins so beautiful!
Sorry – this is the recipe I was referring to. Please see prior comment on the chocolate bouchons. Would you mind if I rework for allergy-friendly and post the link to the original recipe (you)? Thanks!
Please feel free to use!
These are great. I’m glad that you visited San Francisco, as its where I live and I love it!!
I love this so much.
Great photos! Cannot wait to try this 🙂
These little bouchons look absolutely gorgeous – wonderful photos.
Wow what a truly inspiring post; I am so glad (for more than one reason) that I have found your blog. Your words have solidified a lot of what I have been feeling. Good food and Soul searching is great mix for me; looks like you’ve found yourself a new loyal follower. Have a beautiful day!
Hi! I highly recommend you to check out askmonicaberg.com it’s a truly remarkable woman and believe me, it will help you connect to your soul!
The trip sounds like a very nice one. A lovely post. Hope SF was nice.
The apple pictures are beautiful.
Thanks Asha, SF was totally inspiring and full of amazing food!!
Such a lovely post. I do feel that way, and I sometimes find it hard to readjust. I think that’s why I bake. It’s satisfying and honest and I made it and other people enjoy it, and it makes me feel good. Bouchons are about the cutest thing, I think. And these look so good!
I’ve been enjoying your posts as well!
These sound fabulous!!
Beautiful post. Glad you were able to take some time to re-find your balance. It’s remarkable how coming back to base and to purity can be so fulfilling. Less expands to more. I also relate to your expression of creating and sharing food. Really beautiful. Thanks! and the apple bouchons look scrumptious!
Thanks Gail!
Wow, Sylvia! These photos are amazing! Such beautiful apples. Yum!