Strawberry Almond Muffins
Saturday, January 31, 2009 by Michelle
These days, like so many other people I know, I've been trying to cut back on the extras in order to keep more of my money where it belongs -- in my pocket. For me, extras included enjoying an occasional morning muffin from the deli and buying my lunch rather than bringing in something from home. Last weekend, I decided to put an end to the purchased morning muffin. Instead, I would bake up a batch of muffins at home, freeze them, and pull them out whenever I wanted one.
I've been holding onto this recipe for Strawberry Almond Muffins for a while now. I wasn't satisfied with how they turned out the first time I tried the recipe (they didn't rise as much as I expected and the muffins were too wet on the inside after 20 minutes of baking), so I made some adjustments and tried again. The major adjustment I made was substituting dried strawberries for the fresh strawberries, and that seemed to help a lot. The muffins were delicious and helped me get through a crazy and stressful week at work. I have just enough leftover to enjoy tomorrow with my Sunday morning coffee. They're perfect for breakfast on the go or for a leisurely brunch with family or friends. I hope you enjoy them!
Strawberry Almond Muffins (makes 16)
Printable Recipe
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large brown eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces strawberry yogurt
2 tablespoons milk
5-ounce package dried strawberries, chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare muffin tin with muffin liners. Toast almonds in a large skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars with a hand-mixer until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a third bowl, combine the yogurt, vanilla, and milk.
With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until ingredients are just combined. Add 1/3 of the wet ingredients and beat until just smooth. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in this manner until everything has been combined.
In another bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into the batter. Fold in the strawberries and almonds. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing the muffins to cool on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Food Tip: Before folding the strawberries into the batter, toss them in flour, shaking off any excess. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin tin during baking.



































