In the Netherlands it is customary to treat your co-workers to baked goods for your birthday. These are usually sweet, but can also be savory (in that case, it’s usually sausage rolls). The baked goods can be either store-bought or home-made. It goes without saying that I always choose the latter.

As my birthday is in January, many co-workers are still faithful to their new year’s resolutions, and prefer something with less calories. And so I thought I’d offer an option that has no added sugar, no butter, and is wholemeal. These apple cinnamon raisin muffins are sweetened with stevia and are made with wholemeal spelt flour. You could also use regular wholewheat flour. As they contain skyr (Icelandic high-protein low-fat yogurt) or low-fat quark instead of butter, they are very nutritious. But most importantly, they are also delicious.

For 12 muffins (you could easily half the recipe to make 6)

300 grams (2 cups) wholemeal flour, I used spelt

6 eggs (300 grams without the shells)

300 grams (1 1/4 cups) skyr or low-fat quark

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp pure stevia powder

4 tsp (20 grams) baking powder

100 grams (2/3 cup) raisins

100 grams (2/3 cup) dried currants (krenten), or more raisins

2 tart appels, I used renettes (goudreinetten)

Instructions

Soak the raisins and dried currants in hot water. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.

Combine 6 eggs and 300 grams of skyr in a large bowl.

Whisk until smooth.

Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of stevia. This has to be pure stevia powder, not the cheap stuff that is over 95% maltodextrin.

Whisk to incorporate.

Add 300 grams wholemeal flour and 20 grams baking powder.

Stir with a spoon to mix.

Peel and core the apples, then chop them, and add them to the batter.

Drain the raisins and currants, and add them to the batter.

Stir to mix.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners (12 pieces), and spray with oil or non-stick baking spray.

Place the batter in the prepared muffin pan.

Bake for 25 minutes at 180C/350F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature. They will keep about a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving, or reheat in the microwave for 20 seconds.

Flashback

This pasta and fresh borlotti beans soup is an elegant yet filling vegetarian soup. The fresh beans have a more elegant and complex flavor and texture than the usual canned ones. If you can’t find fresh borlotti beans, you can use canned beans (and their liquid) to make this minestra, but it won’t be as elegant.