Bursting with apples and raisins, these robust muffins are seasoned with mace, a spice from the same plant as nutmeg but with a less acerbic flavor.

Ingredients

• 4 cups peeled, diced apples

• 3⁄4 cup sugar

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1⁄4 cup oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1⁄2 cup buckwheat flour

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, mix apples and sugar. Stir in eggs, oil and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flours, baking soda, mace and salt and stir with a fork. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix gently. Do not overmix. Stir in raisins. Fill 18 greased muffin tins 2⁄3 full and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Makes 18 small muffins.