WEEKLY RECIPES with Bette Banjack — Sour Cherry Muffins
There are 300 varieties of “sour cherries.” The two most common are Morello and Amarelle cherries. They are also known as Tart and Pie cherries. Amarelle cherries are better known in North America and the Morello throughout Europe.
Sour cherries are available for a few weeks each year, usually in the late spring to early summer — the peak season occurs in June and July.
They have a seed or what you could call a pit that should be discarded before consumption. Sour cherries have a delicate nature and require careful handling. It contains high acid and low sugar with a bright, fruity and sweet flavor.
It has an excellent source of vitamins A and C to strengthen the immune system. It is known to boost collagen production and reduce inflammation
Sour cherries have a tart flavor — but with sweetener added balance out to a pleasant flavor. Widely used for pies, cakes, cobbler, tarts, muffins, cinnamon rolls, bread, and pudding. Known to be pickled and made into thick syrup for cocktails, lemonade and ice cream — often dehydrated for salads.
Stores unwashed for only 3 to 7 days intact (with stems) in the refrigerator. Once pitted they will last frozen for an extended period of time. The ones shown in the photo were given to me by my friend Pat Nogar — two years ago and still have a wonderful flavor and body.
So, I baked a batch of muffins — they were quite good.
SOUR CHERRY MUFFINS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 to 11/2 cups pitted sour cherries
1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. turbinado sugar optional
Preheat oven to 375° F and spray muffin tins with non-stick pan spray.
Whisk together the flour, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, blend together the eggs, oil, Greek yogurt, buttermilk, and vanilla.
Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the blended liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently mix together just until moistened.
There should still be streaks of flour visible. Fold in the cherries and chocolate chips. Do not over-mix. Fill prepared muffin cups about 2/3 full with batter and top with a sprinkling of turbinado sugar if desired.
Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from muffin tins and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.
“UNTIL NEXT WEEK”