I I invented this recipe very recently. As the first experimental lot were just ready to be taken out of the oven I heard a loud thumping near the front of my house. Going to investigate I found I had visitors - two Mormon missionary boys. I did my usual spiel about us not being a religious family and basically, but very politely, told them their time would be wasted on me. It was a very hot day, around 36 degrees Celsius and those two boys looked hot and thirsty. Being the person I am, I asked them if they would like a cold drink. .
They said they would love a drink of water. I invited them in but they firstly had to ascertain if there was an adult male in the house. When I replied in the negative they said they were not permitted to come in. Not to be thwarted I eventually got them to come and sit around the back in our alfresco area where they smartly got a cold drink, and of course, some muffins straight from the oven.
I warned the boys it was a new recipe and that they might not be nice. The Mormon's insisted they were lovely and assured me they weren't just being polite. So, here you go:
Ingredients
2 cups self raising flour plus
2 tablespoons extra self raising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 and 1/4 cups milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 firm fresh apricots
1/2 cup choc chips
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Remove the stones from the apricots and chop them into pieces. Place them into a small bowl along with the choc chips and the 2 tablespoons flour. Toss the apricots and the choc chips to coat them well in the flour. Set aside.
Beat the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Add the self raising flour, sugar and the floury fruit/choc mixture. Gently fold in together, preferable by hand with a spatula scraping down the sides as you go.
Two-thirds fill greased muffins pans and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown.
Makes 12 - 16 muffins depending on how big your muffin tins are.
Notes:
The fruit and choc bits are coated in flour to stop them sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
In the photograph above I used a mixture of white and milk chocolate.
Food Facts:
Apricots were first found growing wild in China. They have been around for 4,000 years. Apricots are rich in beta carotene, minerals and vitamin A plus they are a good source of fibre.
Eggs are one of the most versatile forms of nourishment available. Nutritionists recommend we eat a maximum of four eggs per week, although a study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that there is no significant link between eating eggs and developing cardiovascular disease in healthy individuals. Most eggs sold today are infertile because there are no roosters housed with the laying hens. There are no nutritional differences between fertile and infertile eggs. Eggs contain all nine essential amino acids, making them a complete protein food. An egg shell has as many as 17,000 pores over its surface. It is said that a mother hen turns over her egg as many as 50 times per day. This is done so that the yolk doesn't stick to the inside of the shell. A fresh egg will sink in water, but a stale one won't. White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes.
