Apricot almond muffins

 

I didn't get around to the traditional hot-cross buns, but I had to bake something for Easter Sunday breakfast, so I tried these muffins.

Apricot almond muffins

Adapted from Cooking Light, April 2001

Ingredients

½ cup apricot preserves

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg white

1 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ cup sliced almonds

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease with cooking spray.

Combine preserves and almond extract and set aside.

Combine flours, baking powder, soda and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle.

Whisk together brown sugar, egg and egg yolk in a medium bowl. Add buttermilk, oil, zest and vanilla. Mix well. Add to flour mixture and stir to moisten.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into bottom of muffin cups. Put a dollop of the apricot preserves mixture in the center of each, about 2 teaspoons. Just leave it in a blob, don’t spread it to the edges. Top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with the sugar and almonds.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the center springs back when lightly touched. Remove from muffin tins and let cool slightly on a rack. Makes 12 muffins, at 209 calories each, for those keeping score at home.

Rating: Worth making, and not too time consuming. The almond flavor comes through and it's a nice bite of apricot in the middle, although it does result in somewhat sticky fingers.

Overall, a decent start to a bright looking Eastern morning that finds us footloose and fancy free. We got our fix of family/cute kids sighting yesterday (thanks, Agenda Setters), so now we're faced with faced with the prospect of a day fraught with the responsibility of not squandering opportunity. Time for another cup of Harney's apricot tea while I contemplate that.