Sun-Dried Cherry Muffins

I'm not happy with my husband.  He is really in the dog house now.  We decided MONTHS ago that he would go to Raleigh, North Carolina with me when I go for a conference.  We would leave Friday night so we could have some time Saturday.  I would work Sunday through Wednesday during the day and he would hang out, look around and we could spend the late afternoons and evenings together.  He would fly home when I fly out to my next location.  I got my tickets at work and kept waiting for him to talk to his boss about the three days off he wanted so I could get his tickets.

Well, he decided he couldn't go.  Some excuse about his 88 year old sick mother and someone needing to be here to help her (yes, she has been consuming a lot of our time).  So I am going alone.

Now, I will leave on Halloween night, so I'll miss all the trick-or-treaters, I will fly all night long and have a 2 1/2hour lay over in Chicago in the middle of the night, and I will not get a vacation with my husband this year.  I am really bummed.

So what should I do?  I bake when I feel sorry for myself (and when I'm celebrating, and when I'm stressed, and when...you get the picture.)  I made these dried cherry muffins.  It accomplished two things; 1) I baked, 2) it got a fresh baked item to my MIL for her breakfast.  And, they are so delicious.

A little sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top.

before the oven

after the oven

Sun Dried Cherry Muffins
adapted from Perfect Muffins, 2008

2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk, or almond milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest
3/4 cup sun-dried cherries
optional, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line 12 standard muffin cups with liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Make a well in the center.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and melted butter.  Add all at once to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened (the batter should be lumpy).  Add the orange zest, sun-dried cherries, and walnuts.  Stir briefly until just combined (the batter should be lumpy).

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them two-thirds full.  Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center of one comes out clean, 15-20 minutes.  Remove the muffins from the oven and cool them in the pan for 5 minutes.  Serve warm, or transfer to a wire rack to cool.

1 year ago:   Roast Chicken with Peas and Witches
2 years ago:  Baked Nutella Donuts and less than 10 hours of sunlight

October 22, 2014   Sunrise 9:06 am  Sunset 6:03 pm  Temp. H 23/ L 14°F