Pistachio, Cardamom and Apricot Muffins

Ingredients: 2 large eggs, room temperature 3 cups gluten free or spelt flour 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 tsp freshly ground cardamom - buy from any spice section in a supermarket, but buy whole and crush the seeds yourself 1 tsp vanilla bean paste OR 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/3 cup caster sugar 1 tsp rose water - available at any supermarket, in their world foods section 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda tsp salt 3/4 cold diced unsalted butter 2 1/2 cup dried apricots 1/2 slivered pistachios - or crush shelled pistachios yourself 1/2 cup dried morello cherries - or use fresh pitted cherries Makes about 15 muffins and takes 1 hour to prepare and bake

I've never been much of a muffin person. It could be because my association with muffins is that of the cold and uniform variety that lie on the  shelf at Starbucks. I can't say I have ever indulged in that processed delight. But that waft of just baked muffins is hard to resist, whether it be night or day. I have longed for a sweet treat that transports me to my childhood days in Pakistan and nothing else but the rather sweet, milky and nutty taste of 'kulfi' is what makes me think of those cheeky summer days after school trying to buy a 1 Rupee 'kulfi' from the stall outside school..it is  that memory and smell that  inspired these muffins. Yes I could just make some kulfi, but thinking of how I could adapt that taste into something baked is what got me here. Though to think that kulfi is an ice cream and has next to nothing in common with a muffin but somehow the the addition of cardamom, rose water, buttermilk and pistachio here in a way creates a hot cake version of  kulfi...the apricots and cherries add chewiness. Inspired from a muffin recipe in a famous baked goods cookbook based on recipes from their bakery, I found something close to the flavours I was hoping to re-live and then added a few things myself...The humble cardamom however is the winner here, your kitchen will be cloaked with the comforting aroma of cardamom - a humble pod with even less significant seeds which release an almost fresh invigorating eucalyptus type smell when freshly ground and when cooked either in a savory or sweet base, transforms into the essence of sweet mulled chai, grounding and earthy in it's depth.Method:1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C and line a muffin tin with muffin cups2. Mix the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla together in a bowl and keep aside. Next combine all the dry ingredients except the fruit and nuts in another bowl and add butter slowly and mix with an electric mixer until it resembles corn meal.3. Next add the buttermilk mixture slowly to the flour mixture until combined. Now add the nuts, fruit and rose water and mix with a spatula.4. Pour out into the muffin cups and take for up to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.5. Dust with icing sugar and eat immediately or within 24 hours.