Whole Wheat Apricot Muffins

Much of the sweetness in these delicious whole-grain muffins, adapted from a whole wheat muffin recipe by Mark Bittman, comes from dried Turkish apricots. I simmered the apricots in water, then coarsely mashed them with a fork. Some of the apricots dissolved into the muffin, lending moisture along with buttermilk and olive oil. Others appeared in the batter as sweet-yet-tangy chunks.

Whole Wheat Apricot Muffins

2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour

½ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 cup dried Turkish apricots

½ cup olive oil

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup apricots with enough water to cover the apricots. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, around 10-15 minutes. Mash coarsely with a fork; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease or fill a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
3. In a large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk, olive oil, and apricot mixture until smooth. Add wet mixture to dry mixture, stirring until just combined.
5. Pour batter evenly into prepared muffin cups, filling to the top. Bake for around 25 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Serve warm, or let cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.