Cardamom Cinnamon Apricot Muffins for Muffin Monday

There are some flavors that just seem to go together.  Apples and cinnamon, tomatoes and garlic, chocolate and peanut butter, bacon and everything.  When I got the recipe for this week’s Muffin Monday, I wasn’t so sure.  The original Epicurious recipe pairing was cinnamon and blueberries.  I’ve never tried the combination and it’s probably lovely but, in truth, it was a moot point.  Because I can’t get blueberries in Cairo.  So, instead, I give you cardamom and cinnamon with dried apricots.  Which totally go.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups or 190g all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup or 150g dark brown sugar

1/4 cup or 50g sugar

6 tablespoons or 170g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup or 120ml whole milk

1 large egg

7 1/2 oz or 215g dried apricots

Method

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F or 200°C.  Put liners in muffin cups or grease well with butter or non-stick spray.

Chop your dried apricots into little pieces.

Whisk together brown sugar, sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom and salt in a large bowl.

See anything missing?

Whoops!  Almost forgot the white sugar!

Whisk together butter, milk, and egg in a bowl until combined well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold to combine. 

Gently fold in your dried apricots.

Divide batter among muffin cups.

Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Guess who else loves a dried apricot, and apparently dried apricots baked into a muffin as well.

The exploratory sniff. 

He almost took my fingers off!

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street.   A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week.   Drop Anuradha a quick line to join her on this journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.