This Muffin Monday post comes to you a day late quite deliberately. Sometimes, when the inexplicable happens, it is all we can do to bow our heads in silent prayer. And treasure the loved ones around us. Our daughters arrived on Sunday night safely, although a little later than expected after an unscheduled detour to Abu Dhabi, because the airplane was low on fuel. As I write this on Monday morning, they are still sleeping in their beds and, so, all is right with my world. And, for that, I am forever grateful.
This week’s original strawberry muffin recipe came from Jane’s Sweets and Baking Journal. I changed it up by adding in ground almonds, yogurt, a natural strawberry glaze and way more strawberries. Oh, and some sliced almonds on top. Because despite the sadness in this world, this is still the Holiday Series. And while muffins can’t make everything better – would that they could – these strawberry babies do help. Baked goods are comfort food, don’t you agree?
Ingredients
2 cups or 250g flour
1/2 cup or 55g almond meal or finely ground almonds
1 cup or 225g sugar, divided into 3/4 cup or 170g for the muffin batter and 1/4 cup or 55g for macerating strawberries
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 120ml whole milk
1/2 cup or 125g plain yogurt
1/2 cup or 115g unsalted butter, melted then cooled
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
10 oz or 300g ripe strawberries
For the topping: 1/2 cup or about 40g very thinly sliced almonds
For the glaze:
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 cup strawberry juice drained from the sweetened strawberries
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C degrees.
Put paper liners in the cups of your muffin pan, or grease your pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter.
Hull your strawberries. The easiest way to do this, with the least amount of strawberry wasted, is to slide your knife under the stem. Use your thumb to hold the stem against the knife and put the whole thing out.
Cut up your berries and put them in a small bowl. Sprinkle with the 1/4 cup or 55g sugar and allow them to sit while you get on with the batter.
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the flour, almond meal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk together your melted butter, milk, yogurt, vanilla extract and eggs in a smaller bowl.
Pour the wet egg mixture into the dry ingredients, blending just until combined.
Over a small bowl or measuring cup, pour your strawberries into a sieve and allow all of the juice to collect.
Add about three-quarters of the strawberries to the batter and gently fold them in. This is not a scientific measurement. Let's not make things harder than they have to be!
Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups.
Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the sliced almonds.
Divide the leftover strawberries between the muffin cups. Press down lightly to make sure the strawberries and the almonds are stuck in the batter.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are lightly browned or a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Mine actually took closer to 30 minutes but I suspect my oven is having issues.
Allow to cool for a few minutes and then remove the muffins from the tin and allow to cool completely on a rack.
When the muffins are almost complete cooled, whisk the cornstarch into 1/2 cup of your strawberry syrup until it is completely dissolved.
Set aside until cool.
Drizzle the glaze over the muffins and serve.
Enjoy!
