I’m a bit 50/50 when it comes to muffins so I wasn’t too enthusiastic with this week's theme. If made well (and kept to a reasonable size), I really enjoy them, but most of the ones out there on the market these days are way too big and extremely dry. Scarily, I’ve even seen some made with artificial flavours instead of actual real fruit….ick!

I received this cookbook for Christmas last year from some wonderful friends at work, and as I haven’t used this book in The Cookbook Challenge as yet I thought it was about time, so I decided on…

Cherry Muffins

Cookbook:  Maggie’s Harvest

Author:  Maggie Beer

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135g plain flour | 2 tsp baking powder | Pinch salt | 2 heaped tablespoons brown sugar | 90g rolled oats | 100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled | 1 egg | 1 tbsp walnut oil | 185ml buttermilk | 300g fresh cherries, washed, stemmed and pitted (or 150g dried cherries)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and either lightly grease a 12 hold muffin tin, or line with muffin wrappers.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and oats in a bowl and make a well in the centre.
3. Mix the cooled melted butter into the flour with the egg, oil and buttermilk.
4. Fold in the cherries, then two-thirds fill the holes of the muffin tin.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted into a muffin comes out clean, then cool the muffins on a wire rack.

Makes 12.

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As you can see, I added a cream cheese icing topped with fresh cherries (just in case these were one the dry side), however, I need not have worried as these were quite moist - I’m thinking the fresh cherries and rolled oats helped. Not too sweet either, which is just how I like them!

I just managed to scrape by with this recipe as it’s no longer cherry season and the markets were no longer stocking them. Luckily, I did manage to find some yummy fresh cherries, although at a cost of $20kg, I don’t think I’ll be making these again until next season!