Recipe From River Cottage Everyday
I know I have been a naughty blogger lately and have neglected my poor old blog terribly but I’m back in the saddle as they say and to make up for my absence I thought I should post something really nice and sweet by way of apology. We are trying to cut down on processed ‘treats’ and snacks in this house and with the return to school just around the corner I wanted to try a new muffin recipe that would be handy for a lunchbox treat and this one from River Cottage Everyday fits the bill perfectly. I have to say that I am a huge fan of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and I find his recipes really do work for me and yet are so simple. The recipe in the book is for Lemon Curd Marble Muffins but the ‘Variations’ section at the bottom of the page suggested using 75g of dried fruit in place of the Lemon Curd and seeing as we had picked up a packet of Crazy Jack Organic Soft Apricots from the health shop this was perfect. I loved that this recipe used only 75g of butter and 100g of sugar which is a bit less than some muffin recipes. I did worry that the lower sugar quantity was because of the lemon curd and that using dried fruit wouldn’t be sweet enough but these were perfect. The soft apricots are sulphur dioxide free and are much darker and squidgier than the bright orange dried apricots you often see – this makes them much lighter in the muffin as they remain so juicy and soft and they don’t require rehydrating so I definitely recommend using this type if possible. The addition of yoghurt makes for a really light fluffy muffin – which I much prefer over those dense heavy oily ones and the method is so quick you will have these mixed and in the oven in no time.
For 12 muffins
- 225g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- good pinch of sea salt
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 125g plain yoghurt (I used Glenisk organic Greek yoghurt)
- 125ml whole milk
- 75g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 75g soft apricots, chopped in to small dice
Preheat the oven to 160ºC (fan oven) and line a muffin try with cases.
Put the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar in to a bowl and whisk lightly to combine. Mix the egg, yoghurt, milk and butter together in a jug and then pour in to the dry ingredients. Mix lightly and stop as soon as the mix is combined – apparently over mixing will result in a dense muffin!
Add in the chopped apricots and stir lightly again to distribute and then spoon the mixture evenly in to the muffin cases. Pop in to the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool…if possible.
This is a really nice recipe, and, as you say, light too. Will certainly be trying them.
Hi Colette! Thanks for the comment :) I must admit that there are none left of the 12 I baked earlier…and I only ate two just for test purposes you understand. My boys demolished them.
I love Hugh FW also. I think that every single recipe of his I have tried is a keeper.
These look so moist and yummy and I love using yoghurt instead of oil.
I do not have any apricots around here but may give it a try tomorrow morning with some dried cranberries.
Hi Mona :) Hugh is brilliant! His books are much used here. Dried cranberries will be delish I think – let me know how they turn out.
Hey, good to see you back in the blogging saddle again. I missed you. ;)
This looks like a lovely recipe. I’m also a fan of the lovely HFW. Think I will have to try these out for J and was also thinking of using dried cranberries like WiseMona.
Your pics are looking great too.
Awww thanks missus :) It is amazingly simple – just my type of recipe! This will definitely be the basis for lots of muffin experiments I think – I need to try the lemon curd ones too. Still using that darn camera on auto pilot :) one day I’ll understand it….
I love the sound of these muffins. Like you, I think yoghurt often makes things much lighter – yum!
Hello Sharon – thanks for the comment. The texture of the batter is almost moussey thanks to the yoghurt – a definite winner. Going to make up another batch at lunchtime :)
Delighted your back, I was getting worried!
These look yummy, perfect timing as I have some apricots hanging around since I made a tagine over the weekend.
Thanks Lynn :) glad you stuck with me – much appreciated! Oh do give these a go – they really are so handy.
Nothing nicer than a home baked muffin- I’ve got some dried figs hanging about- perhaps if I soaked them for a while they could make a nice addition…. hmmm. Got me thinking (nb, looks like I’ve found your blog just in time!).
Hi there :) totally agree – so much nicer than some heavy dense offerings from the shop. Mmmmm figs sound good – I read a very similar recipe in Domini Kemp’s Itsa Cookbook where she soaked dried apricots in orange juice – perhaps you could do that with the figs and reduce the milk quantity?
We had some kind of loaf at breakfast one day that was really lovely and soft and just nicely sweet- I think it may have been apricot. I shall have to try this out :)
Hi Sarah! Apricots are so gorgeously soft – especially the brown unsulphured ones. They almost melt in to the muffins.