I’d like to take a moment here and think about (and thank) my family and friends who are my guinea pigs for my Muffin Monday experiments week after week. Some of them give me elaborate feedback, other times an expression on the their faces after the first bite is enough. If they can’t get through one, my deadly non-ironic answer is always at hand, “Well, there’s always next week!”
These muffins – like most others, I may modestly add – brought smiles to above-mentioned faces. They make for a great choice for breakfast, healthy and delicious. I chose to go with whole wheat flour instead of all purpose and decreasing the butter by half. You must not skip the orange zest because that really takes these up a notch.
We also have six very talented bakers joining us this week and each of them have a unique variation to this delicious recipe:
First up is, Aimee from Je T’Aimee used dried cherries and used buttermilk to make these more tender
Natassia from Let Me Eat Cake added some fresh candied ginger to the mix
Lyn, joining us for the very first time, from Lovely Pantry, used almond milk and increased the sugar to pamper her sweet tooth
Chung-Ah from Damn Delicious baked delightful Peach Oatmeal Muffins
Carrie from Poet In The Pantry also used whole wheat flour, replaced the apricots for cherries and used lime zest in place of orange
And finally, we have super talented Kate from Food Babbles, chose to add in cherries to the mix.
Before you head over for the recipe: we have a special post planned next week, so stay tuned and make sure you don’t miss it for anything.
- 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup chopped dried apricots
- ⅓ cup butter
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons grated orange peel, optional
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In anther bowl, combine the oats, apricots, butter and boiling water; stir until butter is melted.
- Let it cool for 5 minutes. Stir in eggs, milk and orange peel if desired. Stir the oatmeal mixture into the flour mixture and gently combine until moistened.
- Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks.
Happy Baking!
A muffin with oatmeal and apricots is my idea of perfection!
I love oatmeal – these look like healthy, filling muffins. Love Muffin Mondays!
It’s nice having testers, isn’t it? I think my coworkers are getting quite enough. ;) Can’t wait to see what’s in store for next week!
These sound amazing!! I love the addition of the orange zest and I must admit that muffins with oats to me is heaven!! They look amazing, wish I was your guinea pig taste tester!!
love that these muffins have orange peel & apricots – yumm !
Yay! I have apricots in the refrigerator and was wondering what I might do with them beside adding them to salads. Now I know!!! Love this!
Haven’t been here for quite a while. Glad to be back to find another mouthwatering kind of muffin! The combination of apricot and oatmeal truly sounds wonderful!
Can I be your guinea pig too? :)
“Happy Cooking”
I have no doubt smiles were on their faces cause these sound delicious! And I love how you displayed the Muffin Monday contributors this week, instead of just thumbnails. I liked your commentary on everyone’s muffins and thank you for your lovely words about me ;) Happy Monday!
I truly love how versatile muffins are. I like cupcakes but I even more LOOOOVE muffins because of fruits and various ingredients you can put in (and not so sweet like cupcakes). This one looks great! Mondays become a little happier by your Muffin Monday, but it would be perfect if I really have this muffin in front of me!
Simply delectable!
Ooh. So intrigued! Can’t wait to hear about what’s coming!
LOVED these muffins. A healthy, breath of fresh air :)
These do look and sound very healthy…that obviously means that I would be able to eat twice as many! They look very tasty and perfect for breakfast! :-)
These muffins sound healthy and delicious, I like that your used the whole wheat flour. Everyone of those muffins sound killer, what a cool thing you’ve got going on. Can I join in? Let me know, thanks.
Of course. I’ll send you an email. :)
An – I almost used whole wheat flour in my version! Cherries and peaches compliment the muffins perfectly. I love the variations! So glad to participate! Cheers, An!
YUM! Great, now all I want to do is go out and make some muffins :)
Whole wheat flour, fruit and oatmeal? Not only does that sound great, but it sounds like a semi-healthy muffin!
Mmmmmm! Muffins! My favorite morning treat with my tea! Everything looks amazing!
Oh, I love this post. I so enjoy seeing variations of the same recipe–and all look absolutely scrumptious! It also encourages me to give the recipe a try.
Kudos to you and the other bloggers!
Alaiyo
So many delicious muffins – so little time! I love the addition of apricots!
Cheers
CCU
I love baking with apricots, somehow they feel the perfect match with oats and orange! A perfect mid-morning snack.
This looks like a fun baking project with many tasty variations baked into the muffins. I have a bowl of apricots on my counter that I’m considering how to use so now you’ve got me thinking;-)
I love whole wheat recipes … Thanks for giving me another one to put in my arsenal :)
So many gorgeous muffin variations… Am going to check them out.
yum, these sound just delicious + I love reading through the muffin monday posts every week! i already have everything i need to make chung-ah’s muffins tomorrow, so i might do that! =)
oooh, apricot muffins.. these look yummy, i love love apricots, never eaten them in a muffin though.
I’ve never tried apricot muffins before. Looks so great!
very nice! I love the color of these muffins! They’re like bright, summer sunshine and I’m sure they taste as good as they look!
I have a ton of dried apicots in my pantry, the perfect excuse to make muffins!
I would cheerfully guinea pig for you every single week. Sometimes I’d even do it twice in the same day. :)
All these muffins sound delicious.
You’ll always have my vote for delish, whole wheat muffins!! and these definitely deserve one!! :)
What a lovely muffin! They look perfect =)
For some reason I am getting your Muffin Monday e-mails on Tuesday, but I’ll take your muffins anytime of the week. I love that you made an apricot muffin. It sounds and looks wonderful. I just have a new love for apricots.
These look yummy! I’ve never used apricots in muffins, but I bet these would bring a smile to me, too.
I love a muffin that is an acceptable breakfast. The orange peel is a great idea here! I love that umph a zest can give baked goods.
I love apricots, they are my favorite summer fruit, my grandparents have a lot of Apricot Trees in their garden, and they taste so much better when hand picked and enjoyed right away!
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Your muffins are always amazing!!! And I would give anything to be one of your guinea pigs. I guarantee you I would always be smiling! I am a huge fan of apricots, both fresh and dried. You’ve just inspired me to want to use them more in my baking! Pretty photos, as always! : )
I adore apricot and don’t eat nearly enough of it! These muffins look so good!
Mmmm I love this weeks muffins with apricots. I bet these would be great warm with a cup of tea.
wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!gonna try it right now….
These look so rustic and delicious. The use of apricots is what really intrigues, I have never ever seen or tasted a muffin with that in there-yum! How wonderful it would be to be your official taste tester-I like how that sounds rather than guinea pig. Have a great day!
Fabulous to have one for my after dinner meal.
For that delicious recipe I am nominating you for the Food Stories Award. Please accept by following the steps at: (http://foodstoriesblog.com/food-stories-award/
Love the combination of apricot and oatmeal. Beautiful and delicious looking muffins.
I love both apricot and oatmeal…but never have them together in a muffin. Now I am totally tempted with this flavour combo.
I love the addition of oatmeal into any baked good… I wish I was one of your guinea pigs! :)
We love apricots in our muffins!:)
I love a healthy sweet that tastes fantastic. Apricot and oatmeal is a greay combo! Your friends and family are so lucky to be your guinea pigs. I wish I could join them! I would love to take part in a Muffin Monday soon!
That apricot oatmeal muffin would definitely bring a smile to my face!
A big thank you to all our guinea pigs out there!!! These muffins look wonderful!
i soooo wish i could be one of your taste testers – all your muffins look so delicious! i just love the orange zest in these!
I tell you what! You are my goto girl when it comes to muffin. Have referred you blog to couple of my non blogger friends and they are in love with you :)
you are a genius! To freaking good! I love these!
Love these oatmeal muffins! its smart of you add some dried apricots in them.
I don’t even eat wheat and these are making me salivate!
I was looking at the round up and it struck me that everybody’s idea of the same thing is so different. every rendition so unique an beautiful.
I have been on such a muffin kick lately these are a great addition to the recipe binder… thanks!
Now, this is a fruity muffin i can get on board with and what an excellent way to start off the day though i am sure i would be eating this muffin any time i pass by the kitchen..lol
Mmm… I just finished eating a blubbery muffin :) I forgot how much I like muffins in the morning, such a treat! I’ll have to try yours out next week, I really like the apricot oatmeal combo, can I sub in whole wheat pastry flour? That’s all I have left at home?
I would love to be your guinea pigs…these look wonderful!
Anytime you need a taste tester I’m here :) I love muffin Mondays and these look fantastic with the apricots! Great line up too!
I love oats in a muffin, I think it gives them a great texture. Love the dried fruit too! These sound great!
Great recipe, was looking for a muffin to use up some whole meal flour while incorporating the chewier texture of oats, and this fit the bill nicely. I doubled the batch then divided it into four flavors, waiting on the oils and sugar until after dividing, and substituted half very thick buttermilk and half water to replace the milk. I did three sweet and on savory flavors, for the sweet I used half butter half coconut oil and reduced the sugar. For the savory I omitted all sugar and salt (knowing my mix-ins would be salty enough), and used half butter/ half olive oil. Apricot with lemon zest, dates with toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, mango-lime with extra oats to absorb the mango’s moisture, and finally for savory a mixture of diced black olives, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, and chopped green onions. Apart from some minor adjustments to the flavorings (next time I would increase the lime zest for the mango muffins and replace sugar with a small amount of honey for the date muffins), all keepers! Thanks for posting such a flexible recipe.