Apricot and ginger muffins and drug-free pharmacists
A few years ago, I wrote an article about a much-revered institution in France: The Pharmacy. Yesterday, having popped into our local one for some toothpaste, I found myself in the incongruous position of dispensing advice to the pharmacist on how to treat her debilitating cold. She was quite adamant about not wanting to use ‘nasty chemical drugs’ that made her feel drowsy and dried out. I found her resolve amusingly disloyal in view of her job – rather like a butcher promoting a vegetarian diet – but I was even more astonished when she went on to say that she tries to avoid pharmaceuticals at all costs: Talk about doing yourself out of work! Anyway, I spent so long dealing with her fervent drug phobia and streaming orifices (I set her up with a concoction of herbs and some essential oils to sniff and rub on) that it was only when I reached home that I realised that I’d come away empty-handed… Natural remedies: 1, pharmaceutical profits: 0.
Ingredients (makes 12)
60g salted butter, softened
60g coconut oil, softened
150g spelt flour
2 organic eggs
60g ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
80g cane sugar
50ml milk
200g apricots, cut into quarters and lightly poached
2 teaspoons ginger, freshly grated
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cream the butter and coconut oil for about four minutes. Add a spoonful of flour, beat again, then add the eggs, beating further until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add a little more flour to prevent curdling. Gently fold in the remaining flour, ground almonds, baking powder, cane sugar, and milk. Lastly, fold the poached apricots and grated ginger into the mix. Spoon into muffin trays and bake for 25 minutes.
17 Comments
Darya
Hilarious! I had a boyfriend way back when who worked as a chemist (in the pharmaceutical industry) and preferred going sick for days rather than take medicine. The cakes look delicious.
The Healthy Epicurean
Thank you! and LOL – that’s probably because he knew only too well about all the side effects etc.!
apuginthekitchen
Lovely muffins, love the combination of apricot and ginger. Funny about the pharmacist, I know doctors like that.
The Healthy Epicurean
Thank you! It is a combination that works quite well… 🙂
Gerlinde
In a German Pharmacy the pharmacist will ask you if you want a natural or chemical remedy. Your muffins look great and I still have some apricots from last year in the freezer.
The Healthy Epicurean
That’s really good. French pharmacies too are really good about also providing homeopathic remedies etc. Thank you – I hope you like the muffins if you make them.
Phoebe @ Lou Messugo
That is quite something to find a French pharmacist who doesn’t like drugs! A first I’d say. I always laugh at the size of the bag I come out of the pharmacy with whenever I pop in for the slightest thing, or the amount of drugs a doctor prescribes for the smallest ailment. Lovethe sound of yur muffins, I’m a ginger freka and anything with it in is good for me, I love it in all forms so I just have to give this recipe a go. I’m going to pin it for reference. Thanks for linking up with #AllAboutFrance, very happy to have discovered your blog.
The Healthy Epicurean
I know – it’s very unusual indeed – any pharmacist really… I’m a great fan of ginger too. Hope you enjoy them when you get around to giving it a go! 🙂
ourfrenchoasis
This is hilarious, glad I am not the only one who gets sidetracked! Can’t wait to try the muffins, I love anything with spelt flour and coconut oil gives everything such a fabulous taste and smell. Sounds like another complete winner on the recipe front from you – thank you and have a great weekend, enjoy the sunshine:)
The Healthy Epicurean
Spelt flour and coconut is such a winning combination in baking isn’t it? Hope you like them and a lovely weekend to you too. It’s meant to be 22°C here tomorrow – about time after all that rain!
lapetitepaniere
Funny story and your muffins looks scrumptious 🙂
The Healthy Epicurean
Thank you so much! 🙂
Stacey Bender
Love it, only you!
The Healthy Epicurean
😀
Mary Frances
This sounds like the set up to a joke, “What do you call a pharmacist who doesn’t use pharmaceuticals,” though I’m not sure what the punchline would be! Anyway these muffins sound just lovely so at least you can enjoy those even if you did come home empty handed!
The Healthy Epicurean
Yes it does sound like a joke – there’s a saying in French that says that it’s always the shoemaker who is the least well shod!
ask
Hi! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after
browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me.
Nonetheless, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back often!