Farmers' Market Strawberry Muffins

I love going to the farmers' market downtown on Saturday mornings.  Our city has one that is several blocks long and has so much more than just farmers and produce!  There are coffee shops (hello!), bakeries, hand-crafted goods like yarn goods, wood carvings, handmade glass, jewelry; there is just about something for everyone.  And musicians along the way to keep you entertained.  And the food!  So much to choose from.

This past Saturday, I scored some of the best strawberries!  I bought two quarts, thinking I'd make some freezer jam.  Um....I think I need to buy some more strawberries before I can attempt that - between eating them as I was washing and cutting them up, feeding them to my kids (and husband), and making these absolutely amazing muffins, these berries didn't last very long!

And let me just tell you, farm-fresh strawberries (whether purchased from a farmers' market or at a u-pick field) are SO, SO, SO much better than anything you will ever buy commercially in a store!  They are juicier, more flavorful, packed full of so much goodness, you just may squeal with delight!  They are typically smaller, but much, much better!

I absolutely LOVE this recipe for muffins - it has Greek yogurt (I am a BIG fan) and lots of berries and yumminess inside.  They baked up so beautifully, I actually yelled to my husband to come watch as I took them out of the oven.  Silly, I know...but I was just a proud momma of my fresh strawberry muffins!

 You MUST get you some fresh strawberries, some Greek yogurt, and whip up this recipe.  It made ALMOST two dozen (23 muffins), and my kids and husband loved them as much as I did.  They taste a little like mini strawberry shortcakes....they're delish with a dollop of whipped cream on top!

RECIPE
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
10 Tbs butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla 
2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 c. FRESH strawberries, chopped
Raw sugar for topping 

Preheat oven to 400.  Grease or line 24 baking cups (2 muffin tins)

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla and lemon juice.  Mix until fully combined.  Add half the yogurt, then half the flour mixture.  Repeat until all is mixed in.  Gently fold in the strawberries.

Divide muffin batter among muffin tins - an ice cream scoop is handy with this!  Sprinkle liberally with raw sugar.

Put in 400 oven and bake for 8 minutes.
REDUCE OVEN HEAT to 350 and bake for 11 more minutes, until just starting to turn golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool in pan about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack to cool completely.

Ready to go in the oven!

Baked to perfection!

"Berry White" Muffins...can't get enough of this love, baby

I keep buying berries this summer with the intention of making really amazing recipes...and instead we just end up eating them or letting them shrivel up and get past their prime.  Last night, I had the brilliant idea to crank my oven up to 400 degrees on a hot, humid night, so that I could use the berries I'd just bought.  But it was sooooooo worth it -- these muffins turned out beautifully and I wish I could stop eating them!  They're just the right texture, so moist, with a crumbly top.  

You will make these and you will love these.  Your friends will love you.  You will wish you had made more.  Much more (then you will be thankful that you didn't because you won't be able to stop eating them!).  

Recipe:
Muffins:
2 c. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1 c. milk or plain yogurt
1/2 c. butter, melted (slightly cooled)
3/4 c. blueberries
3/4 c. strawberries, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Streusel topping:
2 Tbs cold butter, cut up
1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 400, grease or line 12 muffin cups.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, 1/4 c. brown sugar, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat egg until frothy and light yellow.  Beat in milk.  Stream in melted butter.  Add vanilla.
Add flour mixture in 2 to 3 installments, stirring only until combined.
Fold in white chocolate chips.
Fold in berries until incorporated throughout the batter.
Divide among 12 muffin cups - they will be full, and that's okay!
For streusel, mix together 1/4 c. brown sugar, 2 Tbs flour and cinnamon.  Cut in cold butter with fork until mixture becomes crumbly.  Divide among muffins, pressing lightly.

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes (you may want to put a tray on the rack underneath, to catch any drippings), until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan about 5-10 minutes, remove to rack to cool completely.