Apricot Oatmeal Muffins

These muffins from “Betty Crocker Soups and Breads” were simple and delicious.  I originally chose the recipe because I had some Christmas dried apricots I wanted to use – now I would get apricots to make these.  I served them with Creamy Carrot Spinach soup – a nutritious, delicious meatless lunch.

                         Apricot Oatmeal Muffins

  1 ½ Cups Flour, All-purpose -- (6 3/4 ounces)

  1     Cup Oatmeal -- quick cooking or old fashioned (3 1/2 ounces)

  3     Teaspoons Baking Powder

     ½ Teaspoon Salt

  1     Cup Milk

     ½ Cup Brown Sugar -- packed

     ¼ Cup Salad Oil

  1     Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

  1     Large Egg

     ½ Cup Dried Apricots -- finely chopped

     ¼ Cup Oatmeal -- optional

Heat oven to 400°.  Grease bottoms only of 12 regular-size muffin cups with shortening or line with paper baking cups.

In a large bowl, mix flour, 1 cup oats, the baking powder and salt.  In small bowl, mix milk, brown sugar, oil, vanilla and egg with a fork or wire whisk until blended.

Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture just until flour is moistened.  Fold in apricots.

Divide evenly among muffin cups.  Sprinkle each with about 1 teaspoon additional oats.  Bake 14-16 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serve warm.

2011 Cost:  $1.46 or 13¢ each.

Yield:  "1 Dozen"

Per Serving: 185 Calories; 6g Fat (30.5% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 20mg Cholesterol; 230mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.