Strawberry Muffins

Strawberry Muffins made with freeze dried strawberries. Here’s the thing with using fresh strawberries in baked goods, they work great in strawberry pie but that’s because it’s usually encased in a sweet jam, but strawberries baked into cakes or cookies fail on almost every level. Mainly because the high moisture content in strawberries are leeched out when baked and as a result it turns tender batter into wet, gummy messes and all the sweet strawberry flavor evaporates. That is unless you use freeze-dried strawberries, which solves that moisture problem.

If you are a regular reader around here, then you know I absolutely love using freeze-dried fruit in baked goods. While it doesn’t work for everything, it works wonderfully in so many things like frostings, cookies and muffins.

I made these for my little guy’s 11th birthday weekend celebration. Every year he asks for pumpkin muffins over birthday cake, but this year, I decided to surprise him with these. While he loved him, he wanted to know why I broke from tradition. Gah–he’s so much like his dad–tradition is everything with them.

With that, I’m keeping this short to get back into the kitchen to turn out a batch of pumpkin birthday muffins.

A few notes before you get started on these Strawberry Muffins:

• Freeze dried fruit can be found online or at most health food stores.
• Don’t forget to fold gently to keep the freeze-dried fruit from falling apart if you want to big chunks of it in the batter.
• Don’t be tempted to fold in or sprinkle crushed freeze-dried fruit on the streusel until after it’s baked. Otherwise it just burns into a crispy, burnt mess.

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Strawberry Muffin Recipe

Yield: 1 dozen

Ingredients:

Streusel

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon butter, melted

• 4 tablespoons chunky sugar sprinkles

Muffins

• 1.2 oz. freeze-dried strawberries
• 1.2 oz. freeze-dried raspberries
• 1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon tables salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preparation: Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

To make streusel: To make streusel: In a large bowl, combine and whisk all ingredients but the butter. Pour in butter and using two forks toss until large clumps form. Do not over work. Mixture should have a combination of large and finer clumps. Set aside.

To make muffins: In a small bow combine freeze-dried strawberries and raspberries. Set aside 1/4 cup (to top muffins once finished)

In a large bowl whisk together both flour, both sugars, freeze dried strawberries and raspberries, baking powder and salt.  In a second bowl whisk together eggs, yogurt, oil, and butter until thick and homogenous. Add the wet batter to dry batter and gently fold until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Evenly divide streusel and sugar crystal among muffin cups and sprinkle on top.

Transfer muffins to the oven and bake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Make sure to rotate the pan halfway through. Remove pan from oven and transfer to a wire rack and let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and continue to cool on rack until ready to serve.

A few notes before you get started on these Strawberry Muffins:

• Freeze dried fruit can be found online or at most health food stores.
• Don't forget to fold gently to keep the freeze-dried fruit from falling apart if you want to big chunks of it in the batter.
• Don't be tempted to fold in or sprinkle crushed freeze-dried fruit on the streusel until after it's baked. Otherwise it just burns into a crispy, burnt mess.