NOW WE'RE COOKING: Sunny morning muffins

March 28, 2012

I should say, "Now we're baking," which is something I never do, but I thought I'd try it out again. I found these delicious muffins from one of Sunny Anderson's recipes — she's a Food Network personality. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm obsessed with the Food Network, but I digress. I made 26 muffins Sunday night and they're all gone — and have been since yesterday, that's how tasty they are.

Ingredients:

1 cup strawberries, chopped
1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lemon, zested (not juiced)
1/2 pint blueberries
1 cup chopped walnuts

I love fruit! Let's go:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) In a small bowl, mix together strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar and set to the side for 15 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the chopped strawberries. by Meghan Kotowski

3) In another small bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.

4) In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, oil, 1 cup sugar, strawberries and lemon zest — not the juices.

Mix together wet and dry ingredients in two separate bowls. by Meghan Kotowski

5) Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in blueberries and walnuts.

Mix everything together without over mixing. by Meghan Kotowski

6) Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups — don't fill them to the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out with a few crumbs but not wet, about 30 minutes.