Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the oven grate in the middle of the oven.
Grease or paper line a 12-cup muffin pan. Set aside for now.
In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and both kinds of cheese. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg with the buttermilk and the oil.
Grate the peeled apple directly in these wet ingredients and combine thoroughly together.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine with a wooden or rubber spoon. Do not over mix.
Fill muffin liners ¾ full.
Divide the ¼ cup of grated cheddar cheese evenly on the top of each muffin.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until top bounces back when lightly touched.
Remove from heat. Gently lift out the muffins and transfer to a wire rack to cool off.
Notes
If using paper liners, there is a risk of the muffins sticking to the paper so make sure to spray them with a non-stick spray.
Use room temperature ingredients to properly combine the wet ingredients together.
Preheat your oven for at least 20 minutes before baking.
Whisking the dry ingredients together is important to properly distribute the leavening agents. This prevents large air tunnels in the finished product.
Use freshly grated cheeses for the best possible flavor.
When tossing the cheddar cheese with the dry ingredients, make sure the individual strands of shredded cheese are properly coated.
These muffins are best consumed the day they are made.
What is a substitute for buttermilk? You can substitute buttermilk with sour milk. Measure 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and add milk to make 1 cup; stir and allow to stand for 5 minutes. What to spread on cheese muffins? It is very common to spread butter or cream cheese on muffins. As a healthier option, consider using a fruit butter like apple or pear butter. Freezing muffins: Muffins freeze well for up to one month. Wrap completely cool muffins individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag or container. When ready to consume, simply thaw overnight at room temperature and if desired heat up in the oven. Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. Recipe from Robin Hood booklet "In Praise of Muffins".