Apricot & Honey Muffins

 

These delicious muffins I am showing you today make for a fantastically tasty grab and go mid-week breakfast. Perfect for days when you are in a rush and don't have a lot of time to dawdle at the breakfast table.  I love muffins.  Not quite a sweet as a cupcake, they almost make you feel like you are making a virtuous choice when you choose to have one.

 

Who doesn't love a muffin?  Small individual quick breads built just for one! These lovely muffins smell heavenly when they are baking and no wonder as they are chock full of lovely nutritious things.

 

Whole grain oats, grated fresh apple, chopped dried apricots, chopped toasted pecans  . . .

 

Ripe banana, sultanas . . .  sweet honey . . . oh, how I love honey . . .

 

They are a perfect combination of fruit, nuts and fibre to keep up your energy levels and help keep you going the whole morning through!

 

Because there are only two of us, I always cut the recipe in half, and when using my medium muffin tin, I get 9 medium muffins.  These are just perfectly sized for us.  Using a larger tin will yield fewer muffins.

 

They are moist and delicious, filled with lots of lovely bits  . . .

 

I love these muffin so much I will quite happily declare that they are my all-time favourite breakfast muffin.  But they're not only good for breakfast, try them for your elevensies tea break, or in the afternoon with your coffee break.  They are great packed into the kid's lunch boxes, and also freeze well, when stored in an airtight container. They will keep well for about 3 months.  Simply reheat for about 30 seconds in the microwave if frozen.

 

*Apricot & Honey Muffins*

Makes 12

Printable Recipe 

Moist and delicious for a fabulous breakfast on the go.  They smell heavenly when they are baking! 

210g plain flour (1 1/2 cups)

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin or apple pie spice will work)

50g chopped dried apricots (1/2 cup)

50g chopped toasted pecan nuts (1/2 cup) plus a bit more for sprinkling

on top before baking

100g porridge oats (1 cup)

50g sultana raisins (1/2 cup golden raisins)

2 medium bananas, very ripe and peeled

2 unpeeled eating apples, grated

2 large free range eggs

5 TBS vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 TBS honey

6 TBS milk

100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/ 350*F/ gas mark 4.  Line a 12 hole muffin cup with paper cases.  Set aside.


Whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder, spice, apricots, pecans, raisins, and porridge oats in a large bowl.  Mash the banana well with a fork and then beat together with the eggs, oil, vanilla, honey and milk.  Stir in the brown sugar.  Make a well in the dry ingredients.  Pour in the wet and mix to combine, working from the centre.  Spoon into the prepared muffin cases, filling htem 2/3 full.  Sprinkle the tops with  few more chopped toasted pecans for texture and crunch.


Bake in the preheated oven for 30 - 40 minutes until golden brown, well risen, and the tops spring back when lightly touched.  Cool on a wire rack.


These are fabulous fresh but will keep for several days in an airtight container.

If you are looking for a delicious muffin to bake this week, look no further.  You just hit the jackpot!  Bon appetit!