These buttermilk muffins are tender and not too sweet, allowing for plenty of milk chocolate chips, dried tart cherries, and toasted chopped pecans.
The batter is lightly seasoned with nutmeg and almond extract and the muffins get a drizzle of almost glaze. The perfect treat for brunch or your coffee break!
¾cupTOTAL milk chocolate chipsor dark, if you prefer and chopped toasted pecans
9ozabout 2 cups all purpose flour
3.5oz1/2 cup granulated sugar
2teaspoonsbaking powder
½teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonfine sea salt
¼teaspoonfreshly grated nutmeg
1cupfull fat buttermilk
½cupwhole milk
2eggsbeaten
2.6oz1/3 cup vegetable oil
¼teaspoonalmond extract
For the glaze
1cuppowdered sugar
small pinch of salt
enough milk to make a fairly thin glaze Start with 1 Tablespoon and add a tiny bit more at a time to get the consistency you want
⅛teaspoonalmond extract
Instructions
For the Muffins
Grease a 12-cavity muffin tin.
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425F.
Measure out your cherries, chocolate chips, and pecans. I use a 3/4 cup measure for the chips and pecans. Fill it half full with the chips and then top off with the pecans. This does not have to be an exact measurement.
Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Whisk very well to combine thoroughly, and set aside.
In a large liquid measure or another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, milk, oil, egg, and extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold together until about half-combined. There should still be a lot of loose flour.
Add the dried cherries, chocolate chips, and pecans and gently fold until the batter is just together and all the mix-ins are, well, mixed in!
Scoop evenly into your prepared muffin tin, filling them almost all the way to within about 1/4" of the tops.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Rotate the pan and bake until golden brown and firm on the tops, another 3-5 minutes, depending on your oven. The internal temperature should be between 195F and 200F. Remove to a rack to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove them from the tins to cool completely, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Drizzle glaze evenly over the muffins and let set until dry.
For the Glaze
Stir all the glaze ingredients together with a whisk or a fork, adding a tiny bit of extra milk at a time until the glaze is at a nice consistency.
Video
Notes
STORING:
Muffins are best on the day you make them, so make them early in the day! To store any leftovers, wrap them well in foil and leave at room temperature for up to a day. Reheat each muffin for a few seconds in the microwave or in your toaster oven.
FREEZING:
If you know you won't be eating all 12 muffins within a day, once they are completely cool--glazed or not--you can place them in a single layer in 1-2 zip top freezer bags, pressing out as much air as you can before sealing the bag/s and placing in the freezer. They'll keep just fine for 2-3 months.
DEFROSTING:
Remove muffins as you need them, place on a plate, and defrost in the microwave on medium power for 45 seconds to a minute. Then for a real treat, split and toast them in the toaster oven or under the broiler and serve with butter or cream cheese and/or jam.