My younger brother and his girlfriend are for lack of a better word, um, AMAZING, (does this make me bland? uninspired? unoriginal? I'm sure there are better words out there, but I just might be bland, uninspired, unoriginal, etc.) and spent their entire spring break schlepping across the great U-S of A to come visit me. On the agenda: blend in with the hipsters in Portland (success? debatable.), watch our alma mater embarass Duke and carry home the outright ACC championship (we won't discuss the ACC tournament bloodbath that ensued), "shred the pow" on Mount Bachelor, and personally taste test far too many local microbrews. After this week-o-fun, all I can say is: MY waistline is furious. (Name that movie and, Congratulations!, you officially recognize my new favorite movie.)
In the midst of all this Oregonian hipster, outdoorsy, boozy, hippy fun, I didn't even have time to make my brother's favorite treat. I know. The nerve. And it's such a shame, because I whipped these up promptly after he left, and they are so easy and equally delicious. This one's for you, George and Ashley. I'll be sure these get "taken care of" in your absence.
my Aunt Mary's recipe
Ingredients:
1-18.5 oz. package yellow cake mix, with pudding*
2/3 c. vegetable oil
2/3 c. apricot nectar**
4 large eggs
1/3 c. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Baker's notes:
*I searched high and low, and could not find a yellow cake mix package with pudding. I went without, and the muffins turned out fine.
**Something must be wrong with my grocery store, because I couldn't find apricot nectar either (turns out, apricot nectar is just another way of saying apricot juice), so I used apricot preserves instead. Again, the end result was still delicious.
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, stirring until blended. You can either use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a wire whisk.
Spoon into greased muffin pans (see my note about hassle-free cupcake/muffin scooping here), filling 2/3 full.
Bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pans immediately and cool on a wire rack.
1-18.5 oz. package yellow cake mix, with pudding*
2/3 c. vegetable oil
2/3 c. apricot nectar**
4 large eggs
1/3 c. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Baker's notes:
*I searched high and low, and could not find a yellow cake mix package with pudding. I went without, and the muffins turned out fine.
**Something must be wrong with my grocery store, because I couldn't find apricot nectar either (turns out, apricot nectar is just another way of saying apricot juice), so I used apricot preserves instead. Again, the end result was still delicious.
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, stirring until blended. You can either use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a wire whisk.
(Told you this one was easy. Almost too easy.)
Makes 24 muffins. Supposedly. I only got 15. Maybe my scoops are big? I didn't even eat the batter this time...Let me know if you get a more accurate yield and how they turn out with the pudding/apricot nectar!
In other news, here are a few highlights from George and Ashley's adventures in Ory-gun:
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