½cup(113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1cup(200 g) granulated sugar
2large eggs, room temperature
1cup(240 ml) whole or low-fat milk, room temperature
¼cup(60 g) sour cream or plain yogurt, room temperature
½teaspoonalmond extract, or vanilla if preferred
2cups(300 g) fresh cherries, pitted, coarsely chopped and drained
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients–flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar and eggs until well combined. Add milk, sour cream and almond extract, then mix again until incorporated.
Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix just until combined (avoid over mixing). Stir in chopped cherries with a rubber spatula or spoon.
Transfer batter to prepared muffin tin filling each cup almost to the top (I like to use an ice cream scoop for this step). Sprinkle coarse sugar over the muffins (sprinkle from high above so there are no concentrated spots and sugar is dispersed evenly).
Bake at 400° F for 20 to 22 minutes. Muffins are done when the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out with little to no crumbs. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving. I like to turn the muffins on their side in the pan so the bottoms don’t get soggy.
Notes
Frozen cherries may also be used. Defrost them in a colander and discard the drippings. Use as directed in the recipe.Chocolate chips (1 cup) may be added to the recipe if desired. Stir them in when adding the cherries.Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.Freeze muffins after they have cooled completely. Store them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator before serving.Recommended tools: kitchen scale, muffin tin, mixing bowls, whisk, ice cream scoop