Pistachio Oat Muffins with Glazed Apricots

If you’ve ever wondered why you started your day on the wrong note, take a look at that brick in the paper bag pretending to be a muffin that just cost you $3.75 for hydrogenated oils and a grand total of 4 dried blueberries. I’m cringing just thinking about it.

Starbucks, watch out. These are no wimpy low-fat berry muffins you’ll get from the dingy coffee shop in your office building. No, these are hearty, moist, and packed with flavor. The best part? The oatmeal makes them healthy!

Pistachio and apricot may be one of the greatest flavor combinations every discovered. Smitten Kitchen posted some drool worthy pistachio apricot cookies the other day, which inspired these beauties.

The roasted pistachios perfectly complement the nuttiness of the oats, and the lemon-glazed apricots perched on top add the right amount of brightness to take this to another level.

Now that you’ve realized you can never return to the dreaded coffee shop muffin again, let’s begin:

Combine your buttermilk and oats in a bowl, and allow to sit for an hour. I know, I know, a whole hour?!? Yes, it seems like awhile to wait, but we’ll be glazing the apricots in the meantime.

Combine your sugar and water in a saucepan, and let bubble away until thick. Then, tip in the apricots and give a good squeeze of lemon.

Toss them in the syrup for a minute until glossy and coated, and then remove from the heat so they don’t get mushy.

Grind the pistachios for a minute or so in a food processor, until they become a vibrantly green powder.

Mix the soaked oats, melted butter, vanilla, egg, and brown sugar until just combined.

Now, add 1/4 cup of the pistachio powder to the flour and baking powder and soda, and mix with the wet ingredients.

You want to stir just until combined; the enemy of fluffy tender muffins is over mixing, so don’t do it!

Using an ice cream scoop, ladle the batter into your muffin tins. I chose to make six HUGE ones, so I used the homemade parchment liners I showed you when we baked my favorite cheesecakes.

Gently spoon an apricot on top of each muffin, and ladle the leftover glaze on top. Pop in the oven for about 17 agonizing minutes. Your house will start to smell of roasted fruit, vanilla, and toasty oats. Seriously, torture.

Let’s take a quick peek….. I think they’re done!

Dust over a bit of powdered sugar and some of the pistachio dust you have left over.

When you get a bite of the rich pistachio cake and the tangy succulent apricot, you’ll see what I mean. Don’t blame me when you can’t go back to supermarket muffins ever again…

As for me, I’ve already had two this morning, so I think it’s safe to say I’ve been converted as well!

Pistachio-Oat Muffins with Glazed Apricots (makes 6 big muffins, or 12 normal ones)              Recipe adapted from here

For the Apricots:

• 6 apricots, halved
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• Juice of half a lemon

For the Muffins:

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup pistachio kernels
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt

1. Mix the oats and buttermilk in a bowl, and leave to steep for an hour. Preheat oven to 400 (I did 375 since my oven is a powerful convection one).
2. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat, and allow to bubble away until thick.
3. Tip in the apricot halves, and squeeze over the lemon. Toss in the syrup until coated, and then remove from the heat.
4. Mix in the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg into the oats until just combined.
5. Toss together the pistachio powder, flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Gently fold into the wet ingredients.
6. Scoop into a lined muffin tin, and add an apricot half over each muffin. Spoon over any remaining syrup.
7. Bake for 17 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
8. Dust with powdered sugar and remaining pistachio dust.
9. Bon Appetit!