Apple muffins

Ingredients

 Cooking spray

 1/4 cup chopped pecans

 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1 cup all-purpose flour

 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

 1 teaspoon baking soda

 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

 1/4 cup canola oil

 2 large eggs

 1 cup natural applesauce

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 3/4 cup low fat buttermilk

 1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

 Directions

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-capacity standard muffin pan with cooking spray.

 In a small bowl, mix together the pecans, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar and the cinnamon.

 In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole wheat flour, baking soda and salt.

 In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and the oil until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.

 Whisk in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.

 Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the pecan mixture. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center of one of the muffins comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

 Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool completely on the rack