Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 16 standard-sized muffin cups with paper cupcake liners or grease the pans well.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir the buttermilk and oats together and let sit at least 5 minutes or up to 1 hour; the longer it sits, the moister the muffins.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar. Add the applesauce, egg, vanilla, and the oats mixture and stir well.

Mix together the apricots and cherries. Take out a large handful and set aside for the tops of the muffins. Stir the rest of the chopped fruit into the batter. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups and top with the reserved chopped fruit.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm. The muffins can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave, if desired.