apricot ginger cardamom muffins

When we first moved to Japan I was taking semi-private language lessons with a wonderful lady named Kazuko (who also became like my Japanese mom). In the class with me was a neighbor and friend named Sheena and she brought some yummy apricot pecan muffins with her to class one day.

These are the apricot pecans muffins, minus the pecans and tweaked with some of our spicy favorites. (No kidding, our beans will eat crystallized ginger piece by piece, gulp their milk in between bites and then ask for more ginger.)

Bean 1 and Bean 2 helped me make these, including some their size that they wanted to put candles on while they sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.


You'll need:

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (original recipe called for 1/4 t. nutmeg)
• 1 T. baking powder
• 2 c. flour (I used all purpose)
• 1/2 c. golden brown sugar (I used dark brown)
• 1 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 t. or more orange peel (I used my microplane grater)
• 2.5 ounce package of crystallized ginger, chopped, plus more for topping
• 1 egg
• 3/4 c. milk (plus a splash more if batter seems dry)
• 125 g (1/4 pound) melted butter
• sliced almonds for topping

Do this:

Preheat your trusty oven to 190 C/375 F and butter or oil some muffins tins--this made 11 regular-sized muffins and 8 mini ones.

Sift together the cardamom, baking powder, and flour, then stir in the brown sugar and mash with your hands to get the lumps out. Add the apricots, ginger, and orange peel to the dry mixture, and in a separate bowl, mix the egg, milk, and melted butter. Make a well in the dry mixture and add the wet ingredients, stirring just till combined. Add to your muffin tins, sprinkling some sliced almonds and chopped crystallized ginger pieces over the top.

Bake about 12-15 minutes for the mini muffs and 20 or so for the big daddies.

Yum. Spicy yum.

And don't forget the milk...