Fresh fruit mixes well with this muffin recipe
I love fruit breads and muffins. But one problem with heavy fresh fruit that is so widely available this time of year is that it sinks to the bottom of the muffin. That’s because the fruit is large and heavy and most quick bread batters are thin.
Today’s recipe is one of my favorite summer berry muffin recipes. It has a heavier cakelike crumb, so the fruit is not as likely to sink. But just in case, the solution is simple: Dust the fruit with a couple tablespoons of flour from the recipe; do not add extra flour. Also, chop the larger fruit pieces into smaller bits, so the fruit is better distributed throughout the muffin.
This trick works with dried fruit and frozen berries as well. Just be sure to scoop a few tablespoons from the measured amount and toss the fruit in it. Then as the very last step, gently fold the berries into the batter. If you have other recipes you want to try this trick with, let me know how it goes.
Suggested Menu Summer’s Fresh Berry Muffins Fried egg Coffee
Summer’s Fresh Berry Muffins Start to finish: 45 minutes Yield: makes 12 muffins
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided use 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup plus 6 teaspoons sugar, divided use 1 cup whole milk 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup melted butter 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup fresh strawberries, capped and chopped (see Cook’s Note) 1 cup fresh blueberries, stemmed (see Cook’s Note) 1 cup fresh blackberries, chopped if large (see Cook’s Note) Center an oven rack and preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine all but about 2 tablespoons of flour with the baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup sugar. In another bowl combine milk, eggs, butter and vanilla. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry just until mixed. Sprinkle the remaining flour over berries and toss to coat. Fold berries into batter.
Spoon batter into 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining sugar over the top of each muffin. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until muffins are light golden brown. Muffins will not test done with a wooden pick because of the fresh berries. Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing. Serve as desired or remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store muffins in a tin or a glass-sealed container for up to three days. (Plastic will make the muffins sticky.)
Cook’s Note: Any combination of fruit will do as long as there are 3 cups.
Approximate values per serving: 246 calories, 9.5 g fat (5.5 g saturated), 53 mg cholesterol, 5 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 126 mg sodium.