Instructions: 1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two muffin tins with either soft butter or a vegetable spray or line them with muffin papers.

2. Use 3 medium mixing bowls. In the first, mix the apples and sugar. In the second, stir together the next four ingredients (eggs through vanilla). In the third, whisk together the next 6 ingredients (flour through salt).

3. Stir the egg mixture into the apples and mix with a large rubber spatula. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the apples and mix with your hands or with the spatula. The batter will be very stiff. Sprinkle the optional raisins and walnuts over all and mix until blended. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, fill muffin cups until they are 3/4 full.

4. Bake about 12 minutes, then turn tins around in oven. Bake an additional 12 minutes or until a straw inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Best served warm.

NOTES : I owe this recipe to Marion Cunningham, author of "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook" (Knopf, 1996) and one of my favorite books, in which this recipe appears, "The Breakfast Book" (Knopf, 1987). The first time I made them for coffee hour at church, I got three requests for the recipe. They are rich, spicy, fragrant and not difficult to make. I have cut back on the sugar, substituted melted butter for some of the vegetable oil for flavor, and reduced the amount of baking soda. I also have sprinkled a bit of granulated sugar on the top. Note that since these muffins are mostly raw apple held together by a bit of batter, they will rise only modestly.

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