CHERRY MUFFINS

I wanted to make something for our neighbors, Barbara and Jim, who took care of our place while we were gone. They got our mail every day for us and watered our flowers at the front door. (See pictures below.)

I wasn't sure what I was going to make them so I picked up my Mary Meade's Country Cookbook since it covered just about every "category" of recipes. When I came upon the page with muffins and noticed all the different varieties you could make, I was reminded of the fantastic Blueberry Muffins that we enjoyed at Bailey's Mills Bed & Breakfast that I shared with you earlier. I had blueberries that I bought and put in the freezer before we went on the trip, but I didn't really want to make blueberry ones. Then I saw the cherry version. I also had bought some fresh cherries before we left, but I hadn't looked at them to see if they were still good. 

Mary Meade notes, "Spoil your family with a different muffin for breakfast every morning; sometimes plain, sometimes, blueberry, then again jam-filled treats. This basic recipe should be in your head, if you're a serious-minded cook." I intend to try it in one of her different flavors, but right now  here is the Cherry Muffin version.

CHERRY MUFFINS

2       cups flour
3       teaspoons baking powder
4       tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2    teaspoon salt
1       egg, beaten
1       cup milk
3       tablespoons oil or melted butter
1       cup chopped sweet cherries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. (I used a 12-cup mini Bundt muffin tin and also made 5 regular muffins.)

Pit the fresh cherries and chop the cherries to fill a 1-cup measuring cup. (It took 21 cherries to make the cup.)

Place chopped cherries in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and the other 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium size mixing bowl.

Beat the egg in another bowl and add the milk and oil.

Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture,

stirring just til blended. (Mixture will be lumpy.)

Fold in the cherries.

Fill muffin pans two-thirds full. I have a medium size ice cream scoop that filled them just right.

Bake  for 20 minutes. 

Serve hot. (My mini muffin pan said to leave in pan 20 minutes before removing. The muffins were still warm at least.)

When I took them to my neighbors, I turned them over to show off the cute bottoms.






Here are some pictures of our flowers at our front door.