Baked Apple Fritters by pursuitofhealthfulness

(Adapted from Health Magazine)

Ingredients:

— Dough

2 t active dry yeast
1/2 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk)
2 1/3 C whole-wheat pastry flour, divided
1/4 C sugar
2 T honey
2 T buttery spread, melted
1/2 t salt
1 T milled flax-seed + 3 T water (alternatively, one egg)

— Filling

2 T buttery spread
1 large apple, peeled and cubed
1/2 t apple pie spice
1 T cornstarch

Directions:

To make dough: Heat milk for ~30 seconds in a microwave. Pour into a large bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. In the meantime, combine milled flax-seed and water in a small bowl. Let that stand for at least 3 minutes.
Add 1 1/3 C flour, sugar, honey, melted buttery spread, salt and flax mixture to the yeast mixture. Stir until smooth. Add in an additional 1 C flour. Stir until a soft dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (~10 minutes) or transfer to an electric mixer with a dough hook and mix 10 minutes on medium speed.
Spray the sides of the mixing bowl with cooking spray. Place dough ball back in the bowl and turn it around a few times to cover with the cooking spray. Cover and let the dough rise for ~1 1/2 hours in a warm place (ideally 85 degrees). To see if dough has risen enough, press two fingers into the dough. If the indentation remains, dough is good to go.
To make filling: Place chopped apples in a microwaveable-safe bowl. Toss with apple pie spice. Add in buttery spread. Cover the bowl and cook for 3-4 minutes, until apples are tender. Stir in cornstarch and set mixture aside to cool completely.
To assemble: Divide dough into 12 equal portions. On a floured surface, roll each section into 1 3-inch circle. Divide filling among the rounds. Gather dough around the filling and pinch at the seam to seal. Place each fritter, seam side down, in a cup of a greased or non-stick muffin pan. Cover the muffin pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 40 more minutes.
Uncover dough and bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow fritters to cool for 2 minutes in the pan, then remove each fritter and allow to cool on a wire rack.