Cherry Almond Muffins

When I buy cherries it’s usually with the Grand Design to make Something Wonderful. Then, when I’m faced with the challenge of pitting a heap of cherries, I back down. I end up just eating them out of hand (nothing wrong with that), or giving in to my procrastinator self and letting them waste away undeservedly in the fruit drawer of the refrigerator (lots wrong with that.)

My Phase 1 Baby Steps solution to this problem was to make muffins. My solution to a lot of problems is to make muffins.

These Cherry Almond Muffins are a simple variation of these plum muffins. In fact, I think plums, peaches, and other stone fruits could be substituted for cherries in this recipe, or really in any similarly rustic application.

I, of course, played on the cherry’s affinity for almonds but I wanted a bit of spice, too. I couldn’t decide which warm spice (cinnamon, cloves, etc.) to add, so I sort of chose not to choose and put in some Chinese five spice. (If you read enough of Dorie Greenspan’s baking books, she’ll convince you to try it in your baking.) There’s just a smidge in there, which worked really well, lending an aura of warm spice in the background without overwhelming the cherry-almond bliss or pushing the muffins out of summer and into fall.

Overall, these were a satisfactory cherry treat. They’re delicious, gently sweet, fruity, and a little crunchy. They are breakfast, mid-morning or afternoon snack, or dessert. And, they’re plentifully fruity with just a cup of chopped cherry flesh, which means I don’t have to be so intimidated by the chore of pitting cherries.

Cherry Almond Muffins

You can swap in cinnamon, cloves, or any other warm spice for the Chinese five spice.

I used sweet Bing cherries in these muffins, but I think sour cherries would be good, too. You may want to add a little more sugar with sour cherries.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice
1 large egg
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup buttermilk
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup coarsely chopped pitted fresh sweet cherries
½ cup finely chopped almonds

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray (or grease it with butter or oil.) Or you can line the muffin cups with paper liners if you prefer.

2. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and Chinese five spice. Stir together with a whisk (or you can sift if you prefer).  Set aside.

4. In another medium-size bowl beat the egg lightly with a whisk. Whisk in the melted butter. Whisk in the granulated and brown sugar, then whisk in the buttermilk and almond extract until smooth.

5. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just a few dry spots remain. The batter will be thick. Stir in the cherries and almonds.

6. Distribute the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 375 F for 15 to 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out free of wet batter.

7. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Carefully remove the muffins from the pan. If they are difficult to remove, cool a little longer. Cool completely on a wire rack, or at least until they are just a little warm.

Makes 12 muffins

Other recipes like this one: Peach Pecan Muffins with Brown Sugar Streusel Topping, Poppy Seed and Plum Muffins with Almond, Cherry Almond Loaf Cake

One year ago: Strawberry Galette with Cream Cheese