Recipe: Cranberry-Apricot Tea Cakes

`INGREDIENTS:`
1-1/4 cups boiling water	3/4 cup dried apricots	1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar	2 eggs	1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour	2 teaspoons baking powder	1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt	1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped	1/2 cup chopped nuts
powdered sugar, for garnish	cranberries, for garnish

`1`	In medium bowl, pour boiling water over apricots; let soak 15 minutes to soften. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the liquid. Coarsely chop apricots; set aside.
`2`	Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease and flour or paper-line 2-1/2 inch muffin cups. In large bowl, cream butter and garnulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended; beat in vanilla. In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture and the 3/4 cup apricot soaking liquid to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in chopped cranberries, chopped apricots and nuts. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake 20-23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
`3`	Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Dust with powdered sugar. Garnish each tea cake with a whole cranberry, if desired.