muffins :: the other berry

it's one of my favorite times of year right now. strawberry season. we belong to a CSA farm and for 2 weeks we have gotten 2 quarts of fresh-picked, native strawberries. um. . . . YUM!! now, for the most part these little beauties don't make it into recipes at all, they just get chomped as they are--fresh, sweet and amazingly more wonderful than what the grocery stores call "strawberries." we use them in smoothies a lot, as well.

and when we have more than we can handle (sometimes I buy extra, because, heck, this is the only time of year I can get 'em) i put them into muffins. similar to the blueberry muffin, being a summer fruit and all, but sometimes you want something different.

i recommend this recipe. and stay tuned for some helpful muffin-making tips!

STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk (soy or cow's)
1 stick butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups strawberries, diced (throw in another 1/4 cup if you want ‘em more berrie'd)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

3. In a small bowl, beat milk, butter, vanilla and egg until blended. Add to the flour mixture; stir until just combined. Gently fold in strawberries.

4. Spoon into muffin cups and bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.