Roadside strawberry stands are a common site in Southern California during spring and early summer. The bright red, juicy berries can be used in so many ways – atop your favorite cereal, in breakfast smoothies, tossed in leafy green salads, and baked into muffins.
Visiting family in Bakersfield we decided to pick up some fresh local strawberries. Bakersfield is at the southern end of the great central valley, the vast agricultural heartland of California. My father-in-law had been telling me about a local farmer who grew the best strawberries.
As soon as I opened the car door I was flooded with the heady smell of fresh strawberries being warmed by the sun. Their fragrance was thick and sweet in the morning air. The open window to the stand was filled with basket upon basket of rich red strawberries.
With a half flat of sweet red treasure in my arms we headed back to the house. I planned to take these berries home with me later but couldn’t wait to do something with them. With soup already made for lunch I thought about a quick batch of strawberry muffins. I turned to the web and found a quick, simple strawberry muffin recipe.
Heavenly aromas filled the house as they were baking. Warm from the oven and flecked with diced strawberries just hours from the field they were light, tender and not too sweet. Perfect after lunch and equally good for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Quick Strawberry Muffins
Strawberry Muffins
Thanks to the about.com site and recipe by Carroll Pellegrinelli, I was able to make a quick batch of easy, fresh strawberry muffins while away visiting family. If you want to make these gluten-free, substitute your favorite g-free flour. I have notes and links on a few options below.
Yield: 6-7 huge, 9 large or 11-12 regular size muffins. I used muffin cup liners rather than greasing the muffin cups. Try using coarse sugar for the topping. It adds extra sparkle and crunch
Ingredients
2 cups flour (gluten-free notes below)
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (check the expiration date)
1/2 teaspoon salt (table salt)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 egg
1 cup milk (whole milk)
1/3 cup canola oil or melted cooled butter (I used butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries (wash berries and remove green stem first)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamonDirections
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 12-cup muffin pan (or use paper muffin cup liners). Combine dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup sugar with a wire whisk. In a seperate bowl, combine wet ingredients, egg, oil and extract. Add strawberries. Combine wet and dry ingredients only until moistened. Spoon batter* into muffin cups. Combine remaining sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle over batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
*For huge muffins only fill 6 to 7 muffin cups.
For large muffins fill only 9 muffin cups.
For regular to small muffins fill all 12 cups.
Please be sure to half-fill empty muffin cups with water to ensure even baking.For extra special muffins, top each with a strawberry slice or a few blueberries for the red, white and blue touch for patriotic holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
Gluten-free flour options:
Cup4Cup, developed by Chef Thomas Keller and sold at Williams-Sonoma
Bobs Red Mill all purpose gluten-free baking flour. They also sell many g-free products such as baking soda, baking powder, etc. Great resource.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks again for a fabulous recipe! I make these muffins a lot this time of year and I’ve found this recipe also works really well with frozen or over~ripe strawberries
Strawberry picking season starts any day here in New Jersey (if only it stops raining!). What a lovely looking recipe, and I love how you described the smell of the berries. Puts me in the mood for some of these soon.
I hope you get some fresh strawberries soon Rivki. I forget we get them so early in California. Try the strawberry ice cream too! The recipe is under desserts.
I’m totally making these tonight for a surprise breakfast for my strawberry-crazy daughter in the morning! I have some delicious strawberries at home now, so I don’t even have to run to the store! Thanks for sharing.
My wife tried these this morning after finding this recipe yesterday. So good and simple. We were very impressed.
Scott and Robyn Walden.