Apple cider muffins (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

It’s Autumn. Leaves are falling. Geese are flying. Days are getting shorter and colder, nights are longer.

Apples are America’s most popular fruit. From tart to sweet, crisp to soft, more than 650 apple varieties are listed by the USDA — and there may be more than 10,000 worldwide.

Apples are healthy! As the saying goes, A medium apple contains about 80 calories, is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K, as well as a diuretic and an astringent. Boron, an essential trace element found in apples, helps strengthen bones. They contain important antioxidants (such as quercetin and various flavonoids) that bolster the immune system and help control LDL cholesterol levels. Phytochemicals in apples protect brain cells from diseases like Alzheimer’s and help prevent cancer and heart disease.

Autumn is the season for cider. Fresh apple cider can be chilled for a cool beverage on a sunny autumn day, or served piping hot, seasoned with autumn spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg when the air is damp and chilly.

Fresh cider will turn sour, but it can be made into hard cider or cider vinegar to store through the winter. Alcoholic or hard cider has been popular in England for thousands of years. The cider press, a device that grinds apples and puts them through a cylinder where a piston exerts pressure, releasing juice, was invented in the 13th century.

Apples arrived in the New World with the colonists. Commercial production of cider began in Connecticut in the early 17th century. By the start of the 18th century, New England pressed more than 300,000 gallons annually. The abundance of apples and the ease of production made it the choice alcoholic beverage of the working class by the 1840s. The alcohol content of hard cider is between 5% and 8%.

The Prohibition in the ended the production, sale, transportation and import of alcoholic beverages, including hard cider. At the same time, the invention of refrigeration made sweet cider possible. That is why today, cider refers to fresh, unprocessed apple juice– an unfiltered, unfermented liquid containing some pulp left over when apples are processed. Most cider is made from a blend of apples, for a balance of sweet and tart flavors. Alcoholic beverages from apples are apple wine or hard cider.

Cinnamon, which comes from the inner bark of the evergreen Cinnamomum verum tree, is one of our most common spices. In addition to its sweet flavor, it has health benefits for cardiovascular health and helps control blood glucose levels by increasing the body’s response to insulin. In ancient times, it was used to cure congestion, colds and flu, aid circulation, and soothe the stomach, easing nausea and diarrhea.

Cinnamon enhances the flavor of apples! That’s why it is common in apple pie, apple bread, apple tart, apple Betty, apple crisp or apple muffins. Few things can compete with the sweet fragrance of baking apples and cinnamon!

Apples are everywhere. So is cider. Season all those apples with cinnamon!

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Apple Cider Muffins

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Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup apple cider

1 cup oats

2 apples (I used 1 tart and 1 sweet)

3 tablespoons melted butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup whole-wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

Beat eggs in bowl. Beat in apple cider. Stir in oats and apples. Melt butter and stir in.

In a smaller bowl, combine flours, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Stir into the bowl with oats and apples.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare muffin tins. Fill 2/3 full with batter, and bake 15-20 minutes or until brown on top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Ovens vary; you may need to have the temp a little higher or bake longer or shorter.

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Simple Cinnamon and Cider Baked Apples

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Ingredients:

4 large apples

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 dried cranberries

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped, optional

1/4 cup apple cider

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel the apples. Quarter and remove the core. Slice the apples as for a pie and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle first with lemon juice, then with cinnamon. Toss to combine and set aside.

Lightly oil 4 individual ramekins, or a baking dish. Combine raisins, dried cranberries and nuts, if using; spread in bottom of baking dish. Top with reserved apple slices. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired. Pour the apple cider evenly over all. Bake in oven for 20 – 30 minutes, or until apples are tender but not mushy.

Serves 4.

Option: for a sweeter version, mix 2 Tablespoons apple cider and 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, then pour over apples.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market, Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on Twitter: @yvonawrites.