Recently my work told me I had to go away for about 6 weeks towards the end of August. And going away in my job means going deep sea and having no Internet connection….. Seriously how am I going to cope? So this has recently sent me into a baking frenzy to make sure I can keep updating my blog even while away. Thank you WordPress for the auto schedule feature 🙂
But there is a serious downside to having to bake like a mad woman possessed and that is sometimes things slip away from you. By the time I had baked these almond and sour cherry muffins then re-baked them to make certain tweaks to the recipe I had only a really short time to photograph them…. and it shows 🙁 I am so sorry for the really dodgy photo’s in this post, but on the upside the recipe is awesome and fool proof and oh so delicious!
Jump to Recipe:
Almonds
This recipe isn’t a million miles away from my basic go-to muffin batter recipe. To give these a real almond flavour boost I replaced some of the flour with ground almonds. This of course gave every bite a lovely almond flavour but also gave them an amazing tender crumb. I also included flaked almonds to give them a little crunch to each bite.
These muffins are so soft and fluffy its unbelievable. The ground almonds are helped along with other tenderising ingredients in this batter such as buttermilk and vegetable oil.
Sour Cherries
I really like these lovely little dried cherries, they are tart but they work so well in cakes and muffins, they help cut through any sweetness and they make a great alternative to raisins.
Easy To Make
Like all my muffins these are so simple and quick to make, mix the dry ingredients in one bowl then in a large jug mix the wet. Then gently mix together till just combined, because the last thing you want is to over mix the batter and have tough muffins. Scoop them into your muffin pan, bake then enjoy warm muffins from the oven…… heaven!
Recipe:
Almond and Sour Cherry Muffins
Ingredients
- 100 grams ground almonds ((1 cup))
- 275 grams Plain flour (All Purpose, (1 and 3/4 cups))
- 4 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 200 grams granulated sugar ((1 cup))
- 240 millilitres buttermilk ((1 cup))
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 120 millilitres vegetable oil ((1/2 cup))
- 80 grams dried sour cherries ((1/2 cup))
- 70 grams flaked almonds ((1/2 cup))
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220C / 425F / Gas mark 7 and either lightly grease a 12 hole muffin pan or place liners in your muffin pan.
- Mix the ground almonds, flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl and place to one side.
- In another mixing bowl or large jug mix the eggs and sugar together until the mixture is light in colour.
- Add the buttermilk, vanilla extract and vegetable oil to the egg and sugar mix and beat until everything is well combined.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into your mixing bowl of dry ingredients and very gently mix the two together until just combined.
- Add the sour cherries and flaked almonds to the batter and give them a very quick stir in.
- Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin holes. Don't be afraid to fill them up to the top because this will help you get that lovely high dome top.
- Pop them in the oven.
- *IMPORTANT* after 5 minutes you need to turn the oven down to 190C / 375F / Gas mark 5. Because the initial high heat gives them that high dome top but you need to reduce the temperature so they continue to bake all the way through without burning.
- Bake them at the lower temperature for a further 13 to 15 minutes.
- Once the time is up check they are baked right through. They should be firm to the touch and spring back. Or enter a skewer and it should come out clean.
- Take them out of the oven and leave them in their pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool down.
- Muffins are always best on the day of baking but these will keep well in an airtight tin for up to 3 days.
Hi Emma, found your blog from the other Emma (Fork & Good’s) blog. So nice to find other baking blogs from the UK too. Yay.
And wow for going away with no net for 6 straight weeks. I think I’d enjoy, like, one day unplugged then I’d start eye twitching, LOL! Such a pity that you won’t be able to connect to see the comments on those posts you’re scheduling. Can’t you get satellite internet while away?
Love these muffins too. Love cherries (which I’m sure you’ll notice if you see the last few posts, hehe), and I’m a massive fan of sour. I can eat those sour Haribos without even pulling a face! #tastebudsofsteel and gotta love the texture of ground almonds too.
I don’t know about the American’s, but I tend to eat muffins as a dessert or snack. Had a few for breakfast and felt so guilty.
Hi Lisa, thank you it’s great to connect to UK bakers/bloggers 😀 we have stopped in a UK port for a few hours so I am able to say hi. Satellite internet is painfully slow and it’s very limited to what you can view as it’s controlled by the MOD! So it’s impossible to upload to any kind of social site / network, I really should inform Mister Cameron of this inconvenience….. 😀 Thanks for stopping by.
These muffins look awesome, Emma! Love that you used almond flour – cherry and almonds are such a wonderful combination 🙂
Hi Kelly, thank you so much I really loved how the almond flour gave them such a great texture 😀
Love this recipe.. These do look like the best ever almond muffins! I wish I had these in front of me right now 🙂
Hi Arpita, thank you I was really pleased with how this recipe came out 😀