Monday, November 26, 2007

Yummy Muffins

I love to read other people's blogs. I rarely leave comments, but I often try the recipes they post. I knew I wanted to have some instant fun food to hand to my family and friends while we were getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner, shopping and for Ethan to take when he went snowboarding. I made my usual healthy muffins that my husband would live on if I let him, gingerbread muffins and Apricot Almond Muffins from a recipe that I found on Bemused blog. Honestly, she was my inspiration for this jag of cooking. The muffins were a great hit. If you have not visited Be*mused, you ought to. Here's her recipe:

Apricot Almond Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup diced dried apricots (I prefer Sun-Maid California sun-dried apricots. I use the full bag.)
1/3 cup sliced natural almonds

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Stir until well blended. Add diced apricots, stir, set aside.

3. In separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, egg and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients all at once and fold until evenly moistened. Don't overmix! (The key to perfect muffins!)

4. Divide the batter evenly among a dozen prepared muffin cups. (Butter or line with paper muffin liners.) Sprinkle the almonds evenly on the tops. Bake until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. (20-22 minutes.)

5. Cool on a wire rack before removing from pan. Yield: 12 muffins.

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