Rise 'n Shine

Ronda L. Halpin

Everywhere I look, there are berries! Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are fresh and available this time of year. What better way to serve them than nestled in warm muffins?

This month, I'm presenting two complimentary muffin recipes featuring these sweet berries. The Berry Dessert Muffins are just as their name implies -- sweet enough to eat for dessert! Combine them with the more subtle flavor of the Strawberry Stripe Muffins and you've got the makings for a wonderful tea party. Just find your favorite tea and offer all of the fixings.

Because most of these berries are very fragile, you should make these muffins using very fresh berries or, if you're in a pinch, frozen ones that have not been thawed. Using berries that have been around for a while or thawed berries will introduce too much juice into the recipe. If done right, the berries will impart a slight color to the batter, but little juice.

The last time I served this combination of muffins, it was a Saturday morning in June. I served them slightly warm on the deck with assorted jams, tea with honey and milk, and an unopened newspaper. I think I could have stayed there for days!

Berry Dessert Muffins

If you don't have all of the berries on hand, you can use any combination to make 1 cup. However, they are best if you have all of the berries. I sometimes purchase a frozen berry blend from my supermarket and remove the strawberries to make this combination of berries -- you can too! Just don't thaw the berries before you use them.
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 3 T. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 c. skim milk
  • 1/2 c. low fat sour cream
  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. lemon extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 c. blueberries
  • 1/3 c. raspberries
  • 1/3 c. blackberries
  • Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the next five ingredients (skim milk through eggs) until thoroughly combined. Add the moist ingredients to the dry ones and stir until just moist. Carefully fold in the berries. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. For easier clean-up, line the cup with paper cupcake liners and spray each liner with cooking spray.

Bake at 425 degrees for 18 minutes or until done. Remove from the pans immediately.

  • Yields: 18 muffins
  • Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Strawberry Stripe Muffins

These muffins get their name from the delicate stripes and patterns created while baking. They make a pretty addition to any table!
  • 1 3/4 c. flour
  • 1/3 c. sugar
  • 2 T. baking powder
  • 3/4 c. skim milk
  • 1/4 c. olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 c. strawberries, hulled and quartered
  • Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients (flour through baking powder) in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the next three ingredients (skim milk through egg) until thoroughly combined. Add the moist ingredients to the dry ones and stir until just moist. Carefully fold in the strawberries. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. For easier clean-up, line the cup with paper cupcake liners and spray each liner with cooking spray.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from the pans immediately.

  • Yields: 12 muffins
  • Preparation Time: 25 minutes

As I mentioned last month, I'm always on the lookout for great muffin recipes. If you've got a gem that you want to share, you can post it using the form below, visit our discussion board topic for recipes, or send it to me via email.