Cherry Muffins Recipe

Cherries have always been one of my favorite fruits to eat, and as an addict of all things fresh that come straight off a tree, I have wonderful memories of a maze full of cherry trees. I am lucky to live less than 2 hours away from Brentwood, Ca where the majority of farms are lined up with hundreds of cherry trees.

Memorial Day marks the beginning of cherry season, as the owners open up their farms and invite you to pick your own cherries. The cherries are finally ripe, the birds are singin' and sun is shinin,' welcoming excited local fruit lovers.

My favorite recipe to bake with cherries is muffins. The sweetness and subtle tartness of the cherries pop in your mouth with a lot of flavor. I appreciate how the cherries, unlike strawberries and blueberries, do not disintegrate in the batter. As you can tell from the picture, they retained their shape quite nicely.

This cherry almond recipe is very easy to make. The combination of toasted almonds and cherries is a dream come true. I hope you enjoy the recipe and if you're ever in California, stop by Brentwood for cherry picking!

Brentwood, CA offers over 40 farms with about 640 acres of cherries and other fruits for you to pick. There are different variety of cherries available. Bing cherries, rainier cherries, and brooks cherries are among the local favorites.

Cherry picking can be a fun family event, especially for the kids. You can pack a small lunch and have a picnic, or have brunch at some of the breakfast places in the nearby city. As for me, I eat the cherries right off the tree until my stomach bloats up and I have to rush to the one and only portal potty available. I can't help it. There's something awesome about eating fruits that are picked right off the trees. It can't get any more fresh than that.

We usually get there as early as possible, while the air is cooler and there are less people to fight over the ladder. I prefer to climb the trees rather than using the ladders. It brings back childhood memories of warm summer days filled with tree-climbing and bike-riding until the sun came down.

After a few hours of picking cherries, it's time to weigh in the white bucket is full. I usually bring home about 20lbs of fresh, organic cherries.

Do you think I can eat 20lbs of cherries by myself? Of course! Just not all at once! Although the cherries are best when eaten raw, you can bet that they will find its way into different types of desserts. There are so many different ways to cook and bake with the cherries. Let's see...

• I freeze them. Frozen cherries can be added to smoothies or milkshakes!
• I bake with them. Cherry muffins, cherry chocolate cake, cherry energy bars...and so on.
• I make cherry jam.
• I pig out with a bowl of cherries every night in front of the tv.
• I dream about cherries the same night.

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar, (I used Stevia, it's healthier)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 teaspoon almond extract
• 1.5 cups fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)