Ground Cherry Muffins Recipe

Joining the CSA this Summer is a decision I am so happy with.  It presented so many different fruits and vegetables to us that I would have never purchased at the market on my own.  Some weeks it was a challenge sorting through our basket and trying to plan out the meals for the rest of the week, but looking back, it allowed us to explore numerous foods and try new recipes.   Plus, it was fun to share many of them with all of you!

Have you ever heard of or seen ground cherries?  These aren’t the typical red cherries that we are all familiar with ground into a paste.  They are a beautiful little yellow-orange round fruit, similar to a small tomato, but covered by a papery husk like a tomatillo.  They are sweet little berries, and have a pineapple-like flavor with a hint of tomato.  Sounds like a strange combo, I know, but they are surprisingly delicious! 

So, what to do with these ground cherries you ask?  Add them into a basic muffin recipe for a new twist.  These muffins are a fun way to start your day as a delicious breakfast treat.

Ground Cherry Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

1 3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup ground cherries, halved

Preheat oven to 400^o.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a large mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, combine egg, milk and oil.  Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.  Stir everything together until well incorporated.  Add in the ground cherries. 

Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with a cooking spray. Fill each muffin tin 3/4 full with the batter and back in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Banana Mocha Muffins

Banana Mocha Muffins are a family favorite.  My mother always made them when I was a child.  They would be a special treat when we would go away on ski weekends, trips up to the lake, or ‘just because’.  Do you have some brown, ripened bananas at home and are sick of the same old banana bread? Don’t throw away those ripe bananas and waste your money.  Instead, you should try these delicious, chocolaty, banana mocha muffins.  They are a family favorite that never fails. 

I love to heat them in the microwave for just 10 seconds and the chocolate chips just start to melt and the muffin center gets soft and fluffy. 

Hope you enjoy!!

Banana Mocha Muffins Recipes

Makes 24 Muffins

Preheat oven to 350^o

2 ½ cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon instant coffee grinds
1 tablespoon of warm water

1 1/3 cup mashed bananas (3-4 bananas)

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 ¼ cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter and sugar until creamed.  Next add in egg and mix well.  In a small cup, disolve the instant coffee grinds in warm water.  Mash banana in a large bowl and add in coffee.  Add this to butter mixture and mix well.  Stir in all dry ingredients.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Spoon mixture into muffin tins and bake at 350^o for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. 

Tips:

1)   If you have some ripe bananas and don’t have any time in the next few days to bake, don’t worry.  Just quickly mash up the bananas and freeze them.  Then when you are ready to bake, take them out and defrost

2)   This recipe makes 24 muffins.  Trust me, they will be eaten quickly, but if you want to reserve some for another day, they freeze wonderfully.   

3)   If you don't have instant coffee, but you have some left over coffee from the morning, that works to.