Apricot Muffins
Apricot muffins are the ultimate treat for any occasion. The combination of all-purpose and semolina flour results in the muffins with a delightful mix of softness and slight crumble, with a hint of cinnamon warmth.
updated from 2010
HOW TO MAKE APRICOT MUFFINS WITH SEMOLINA
If you haven’t used semolina flour (made from ground durum wheat) before, don’t be afraid to try it. Semolina is yellow, coarse flour therefore, it contributes to subtle, somewhat dense texture, and it adds depth and beautiful yellow color to the muffin batter.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE APRICOT MUFFINS
- INGREDIENTS
- All-Purpose Flour
- Semolina (made from durum wheat, not corn semolina)
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Eggs
- Cream of Tartar
- Sugar
- Butter
- Vanilla
- Lemon Zest
- Apricots – other fruits, like cherries, apples, peaches, raspberries, and blueberries can be used instead of Apricots
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
APRICOTS
Firstly, use ripe apricots. I bought positively ripe, sweet apricots at a local market. However, if you are not fond of apricots, you can use a wide range of other fruits instead. Even frozen fruit works.
Apricots are used as a topping, so instead of dicing them as you would for the filling, I cut them in half and then each half sliced into three pieces. Then, I coated apricot pieces heavily in a brown sugar-cinnamon mixture.
MUFFIN BATTER
Batter is made up from 3 main components: butter-egg mixture, flour mixture, and meringue.
Gradually fold the meringue and flour mixture into the butter-egg mixture. Use soft strokes and a folding technique to combine the ingredients. Most importantly, don’t rush it. The batter will be thick and a nice yellow color.
FILL MUFFIN PAN
Divide thick batter into a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners. Fill each cavity to about 2/3 full. Place 2 to 3 slices of apricot slices smothered in brown sugar-cinnamon on the top.
BAKE APRICOT MUFFINS
Bake muffins in the preheated oven at 350F (180C) for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden brown or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
Allow baked muffins to cool in the pan for 2 minutes, and after that transfer muffins onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
These apricot muffins are a pure joy to bite into! Cheerfully soft with a distinctive lightly crumbly texture; loaded with juicy flavorful apricots soaked in caramelized brown sugar-cinnamon topping. Blissfully versatile apricot muffins, are great for grab-and-go breakfast, weekday pick-me up treat or a sweet addition to your Saturday afternoon tea.
APRICOT MUFFINS SUCCESS TIPS
- If you don’t have semolina flour use corn meal, all-purpose or bread flour instead.
- Not a fan of apricots? Of course, you can use other fruits like apples, peaches, raspberries, blueberries.
- Need cupcake liners? Try this muffin liner hack: cut parchment into 5-6 inch squares, place the squares on the muffin cavity and with a heel of a glass press the paper down.
- Muffins keep for 3 days at room temperature, for 7 days in the fridge, and they can be frozen for up to 2 months, let defrost on a a counter.
Apricot Muffins
Equipment
- handheld mixer
- mixing bowls
- spatula
- muffing pan
- cupcake liners
Ingredients
Muffin Batter
- 3 eggs (separated egg whites and egg yolks)
- pinch of cream of tartar or 1 teaspoon lemon juice/vinegar
- 1/2 cup room temperature butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 tsp lime or lemon zest
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (105 grams)
- 1/4 cup semolina flour (44 grams)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Fruit and Brown Sugar Topping
- fruit – I used 5 fresh apricots, washed, cored, and sliced.
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line a 12-muffin pan with liners.
Muffin Batter
- In a bowl combine, all-purpose flour (3/4 cup, 105 grams), semolina flour (1/4 cup, 44 grams), baking powder (1/4 teaspoon), and salt (1/4 teaspoon).
- In a clean bowl, whip the 3 egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until soft peaks form, gradually beat in 1/2 of the granulated sugar (1/4 cup, 50 grams) and beat until stiff, glossy peaks are formed.
- Beat butter (1/2 cup, 113 grams) with the remaining granulate sugar (1/4 cup, 50 grams) for about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in 3 egg yolks, one at a time; beat well after each addition; add lemon, Vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl and beat well after each addition.
- Gradually, alternating, fold the meringue and flour mixture into the butter mixture. Use light strokes to combine ingredients until smooth.
- Divide batter into the muffin pan, about 3-5 tablespoons per cavity.
Apricot Topping
- Wash firm and ripe apricots, remove the pit, and slice them into wedges 1/2 inch In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar (1/4 cup) and cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon).Toss apricot slices in cinnamon sugar.
- Top each muffin with 2 or 3 sugared apricot slices and divide any juices left in the bowl among the muffins.
Bake
- Bake for about 15-18 minutes; until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Remember to rotate the pan halfway through baking.
- Let muffins cool in a pan for 3 minutes. Then carefully remove the baked muffins from the pan and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
Notes
- Can I use different fruit? Absolutely. You can use season fruit, frozen fruit, and even canned fruit (berries and cherries are great)
- How long do muffins keep? At room temperature, stored in an airtight container, they keep for 3 days. In the fridge, they keep for up to 5 days.Â
This recipe was originally published on August 1, 2010. On June 20, 2023 I updated this recipe post with new pictures, written text and a recipe card.
Thank you Jeniffer and Faithy,
I really adore the area very much, usually I can't find nice apricots, those in the grocery store are so bitter and super expensive, there is a local farm they also sell them and they were really nicely priced plus I can't really resist a nice ripe apricot.;-)
I really like the texture of these little cakes, perfect for a morning tea or later afternoon. Will make them again.
Lovely photos and yummy cakes!! I love anything with apricot in it..but here, fresh apricot too expensive so i always feel should eat it fresh..
I want to live where you are… the most perfect apricots I have ever seen!! Lovely recipe, with the small quantity of wheat flour it's great one to convert to gluten free too.
PS Gorgeous photography!!