APRICOT SUNSHINE MUFFINS

 I usually share some of my baked goods with neighbors and friends at Christmas. This year I am a little behind. Our below zero temperatures for several days before Christmas kept me inside and I only got around to a couple of friends and the mailman. (Yes, he is a male.) Anyway, I guess I will be making up for it this week. I thought I would share one of the recipes I made that we especially enjoyed.

I have been wanting to find a recipe for dried apricots as I have had some in the refrigerator that we hadn't eaten. The bag was big that I bought at the store. I saw this recipe in my go-to cookbook lately from Pillsbury called Healthy-Baking Fresh Approaches to More than 200 Favorite Recipes that I got at an estate sale. I haven't made all 200+ recipes from it, but I've made a lot. This one for Apricot Sunshine Muffins didn't disappoint me at all. I love having the whole wheat flour along with the all-purpose flour.

I did make a few substitutions but it was because I didn't have the apricot or orange yogurt. I used a no-sugar-added and fat free vanilla Greek yogurt instead. The orange oil I got from King Arthur Flour. I also have lemon oil. I like to add a small amount when I really want to enhance the flavor. Worked out fine.

PRINT recipe.

APRICOT SUNSHINE MUFFINS

1       cup flour

1       cup whole wheat flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1       teaspoon grated orange peel

1/4    teaspoon salt

1       (8-oz) container low-fat apricot or orange yogurt (I used 1 cup of no-sugar-added & fat-free vanilla yogurt plus 1/4 teaspoon orange oil)

1/2     cup chopped dried apricots

1/3     cup orange juice

1/4     cup honey

1/4     cup oil

1        egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups or grease bottoms only. I did bought because I ran out of the paper baking cups. I did spray the cups with non-fat cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, orange peel, and salt;

mix well. Make a well in the bowl with the mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients

mixing well.

Add to the dry ingredients and

stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. 

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

(I ended up getting three large muffins extra.

I added some water to the three empty cups so the three muffins would bake evenly.)

Bake for 14 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Immediately remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. Store in an air-tight container. Best if heated slightly in the microwave when eaten later.