1/2 cup fruity-flavoured olive oil or rice bran oil
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
Finely grated zest 1 orange
1 cup chopped dried apricots
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
60g cream cheese
Streusel topping:
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
30g butter, melted
1. Heat oven to 200°C. Grease 12-hole standard muffin tin or line with paper cases. In a bowl, combine the oil, sugar, eggs, buttermilk and orange zest and stir well. Stir in dried apricots.
2. Sift flour and baking soda over wet mixture and fold in to just combine into a batter. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tins, hiding a teaspoonful of cream cheese in the centre of each muffin.
3. Combine streusel ingredients and sprinkle a little over each muffin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until pale golden and a skewer inserted in the centre of one muffin comes out clean.
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Robyn, Whangarei
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