Turkish Apricot Kaymak Muffins
Tender, bakery-style muffins studded with plump Turkish dried apricots and enriched with kaymak, the thick, silky clotted cream of Turkish breakfast tables. The kaymak gives a rich, moist crumb with a gentle dairy sweetness, and a crunchy pistachio-sugar top finishes them.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Wait
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr 22 min
- Makes
- 12 standard muffins
Steps
Before you start
- Take the eggs, kaymak and milk out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so they mix smoothly into the batter.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the center before you start mixing.
- Plan on about 80 minutes in total: 15 minutes of that is soaking the apricots and 20 minutes is cooling.
- Kaymak is sold at Turkish and Middle Eastern groceries. If you can't find it, see the substitutions.
Preheat and line panOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C).
- Line all 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 375°F (190°C) and all 12 cups are lined.
Tip: Check with an oven thermometer if you can; many home ovens run hot or cool.
Soak the apricots
- Place the chopped apricots in a small heatproof bowl and cover with 1 cup (240 ml) just-boiled water.
- Let stand for 15 minutes.
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Ready when: Apricots feel soft and slightly swollen when squeezed.
Tip: Chop the apricots before soaking; sticky wet apricots are harder to cut.
Drain and flour apricots
- Drain the apricots well in a sieve, then pat thoroughly dry with a paper towel.
- Return them to the bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the measured flour until each piece is lightly coated.
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Ready when: Apricot pieces look dusty and separate, not clumped.
Tip: The flour coating helps keep the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the remaining flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds, until evenly combined.
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Ready when: No streaks or lumps of leavening remain.
Mix wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar for 1 minute until slightly pale.
- Whisk in the kaymak until smooth, then the milk, melted butter, vanilla and orange zest until fully blended.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and uniform with no visible lumps of kaymak.
Tip: Let the melted butter cool for a few minutes first so it doesn't cook the eggs.
Fold batter together
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Fold with a spatula about 12 strokes, just until the flour disappears.
- Add the floured apricots and fold 3 or 4 more times to distribute them.
- The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
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Ready when: No dry flour pockets remain; small lumps are fine.
Tip: Overmixing makes muffins tough and tunneled, so stop as soon as the flour is incorporated.
Fill and top
- Divide the batter among the 12 liners using a scoop or large spoon, about ⅓ cup (80 ml) each, filling them about three-quarters full.
- Sprinkle each with the turbinado sugar and the chopped pistachios, if using.
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Ready when: Batter mounds evenly in all 12 cups with a visible sugar crust on top.
Bake the muffinsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan front to back after 12 minutes for even browning.
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Ready when: Tops are deep golden and spring back when pressed, and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.
Tip: A toothpick that touches an apricot may look sticky; test in a spot with only batter.
Cool and serve
- Let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift them onto a wire rack.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes more before serving warm, or cool completely before storing.
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Ready when: Muffins are warm, not hot, and lift cleanly from the liners.
Tip: Leaving them in the hot tin longer will steam the bottoms and make the liners stick.
Good to know
Tips
- Use soft Turkish (Malatya-style) apricots if you can; they are plumper and sweeter than the firm, tart California type, which may need an extra 5 minutes of soaking.
- Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling, or by weight. Packed flour makes dry, dense muffins.
- For taller domed tops, let the filled tin stand for 10 minutes before baking, or start the oven at 425°F (220°C) for the first 5 minutes and then drop to 375°F (190°C).
- Fill any empty muffin cups halfway with water before baking so the tin doesn't warp or scorch.
Make ahead
Soak and chop the apricots up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate in a covered container (drain and dry them well before using). You can also whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, cover and refrigerate the wet mix, then combine and bake the next morning.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature in an airtight container: up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat room-temperature or refrigerated muffins at 350°F (175°C) for 5 to 8 minutes, or microwave 15 to 20 seconds. Reheat frozen muffins at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes, or thaw overnight in the fridge first.
Substitutions
- kaymak (Turkish clotted cream) → Clotted cream or mascarpone. Use the same weight (170 g). Mascarpone gives a slightly tangier, denser crumb; clotted cream is the closest match.
- dried Turkish apricots → Dried figs or golden raisins. Use the same weight and soak the same way. Quarter the figs and remove the stems first.
- whole milk → Plain whole-milk yogurt thinned with a splash of water. Use ¾ cup (180 ml) total. The muffins will taste a little tangier.
- unsalted pistachios → Sliced almonds or walnuts. Use the same amount, or leave off the nuts for a nut-free version.