Breakfast
Chocolate Cherry Muffins
The Highlands
14000 Woodland Drive
Guerneville, CA 95446
highlandsresort.com
- RECIPE YEAR: 2014
- RECIPE BY: Ken McLean
- YIELD: Serves 12
Yummy muffins with lots of tart cherries and dark chocolate. What more could anyone possibly want? (Well, besides more cherries and chocolate . . . )
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups tart cherries, pitted
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan, including the area between each cup. In a small bowl, toss the cherries with 1/3 cup of the flour. (This prevents the cherries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins during baking.) In a large bowl, using a handheld whisk, beat together the melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, milk and lemon extract. Sift together the remaining 1 2/3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt into a small bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until just barely blended. Add cherries along with the remaining flour and the chocolate. Fold until combined. The batter may still be a bit lumpy; do not overmix. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing evenly. Sprinkle the tops with the turbinado sugar. Bake until the muffins are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan. You may need to slide a knife around the edges of the muffins to release them from the pan. Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.
