Apricot Muffins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These simple muffins are light and moist and will appeal to those of you who enjoy European, barely sweet, pastry and cakes. I like them best for breakfast, but they'd also be great for an informal afternoon tea. These muffins can be made without special kitchen equipment and they can be whipped up by anyone who can read, has a wooden spoon and a large bowl. If you decide to make them, it's important to keep all the liquid ingredients at room temperature. Cold yogurt or eggs will cause the butter to solidify and you'll end up with a batter so stiff that you won't be able to work the apricots into it. While not large, these are good-sized treats and the recipe will make 12 standard muffins with enough extra batter for 1 Texas-size muffin. The yogurt in these muffins keep them moist for 2 or 3 days, if they are well-wrapped or stored in an airtight container. They also can be frozen. If you would like something a bit sweeter, the muffins can be topped with a standard confectioners' sugar glaze. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, the confections' sugar can be thinned with apricot brandy rather than milk for a more uptown glaze. I think you will like the simplicity of this recipe. Here is how the muffins are made.

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Here is another bar cookie to add to your cookie collection. While I usually include this on my Christmas cookie tray, it is a great cookie to make and serve at any time of year. This is not an overly sweet confection and it will appeal to those of you who enjoy less sweet, more European-style, cookies. The apricot filling has a jewel-like quality and makes the cookie attractive to look at. Because I am fond of apricots, this cookie makes it to my personal favorites list for its taste, as well as its appearance. The cookies are simple to make and will stay fresh for several days after baking if they are stored in air-tight contains or well-wrap in foil or plastic wrap. This is another of my favorite bar cookies. While I've had good luck using dried cherries and cherry jam for the filling, I am partial to apricot and recommend the apricot version to you. Here is how the bars are made.

Table for Two - Sweet and Hot Pork Tenderloin with Apricots

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When we were very young, food played a special role in recovery from childhood ailments. A bit like birthdays, when special foods were the order of the day, sickies were plied with favorite foods in hopes that they would help comfort and speed recovery. For most kids, that meant chicken soup and Jello, but I was born a contrarian and eschewed soups and weak tea for club sandwiches and apricot nectar. That nectar was the start of my love affair with apricots. While I don't always have fresh apricots in my kitchen, my pantry is never without the dried variety which I use liberally in cooking. This recipe is one that I developed for a meal when there are just two or three people at the table, and it, of course, gets much of its flavor from dried apricots and the water they soak in. The Silver Fox likes sauces that combine hot and sweet flavors, so it would be an understatement to say he like this pork dish. It is really simple to make and I think you will enjoy it. While the recipe can be doubled, I suspect you will want to keep this an adult meal. Young children will find it too spicy for their tastes. If you are into fast, simple and delicious, I hope you will give this recipe a try. The pork is wonderful when served with rosti potatoes or rice. Here is how it is made.