Amaranth & Kale: Sweet Cherry Almond Muffins

7/11/13

Sweet Cherry Almond Muffins

I recently spent a beautiful afternoon in an orchard filled with sweet cherries! It was like heaven! I brought home several bags full of fresh cherries including some luscious Bing cherries. Bings are the most produced variety of sweet cherry in the united states and for good reason. They are beautiful, full of flavor, and have a nice firm flesh. The variety was developed in 1875 in my home state of Oregon, so these cherries are like a little taste of home for me!

Food can often trigger memories. Good ones and unfortunately bad ones too! Fresh juicy cherries bring to mind good memories and that's one reason why I love them so much! They make me think of happy, carefree summers that I spent running around barefoot with my little brother. We had a lot of fruit trees growing up, including cherries, so my mom would serve a big bowl of cherries at practically every meal during the peak of cherry season. When I was younger I enjoyed having cherry pit spitting contests off the back porch! Well, Perhaps I still do this on occasion, but not in polite company.

These almond cherry muffins are a perfect way to use a few extra cherries, forget that...These are a good reason to go out and GET a few extra cherries.. right now! The flavors of the almond and cherries compliment each other perfectly. They are great hot out of the oven or the next day, if you can wait that long. You won't regret trying these even if you don't need to eat gluten free. That's how delicious they are!

Cherry Almond Muffins:
1 cup gluten free oat flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup fresh pitted and chopped sweet cherries

Mix dry ingredients well in a medium sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, beat together egg, yogurt, and almond extract until well blended and then mix into the dry ingredients. Stir well. Once all the ingredients are mixed together sufficiently, gently fold in the chopped cherries. Pour batter into small baking tins or muffin pans, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.