We just got back from a glorious weekend in North Carolina for my childhood friend Emily’s wedding. (Congratulations Emily and Andy! I’m so happy for you guys and we LOVED your wedding!)
While San Diego is a wonderful place and beautiful in its own desert-on-the-ocean way, I have to say that I miss the greenery and trees that populate the east, especially in the early summer. Maybe it’s because I grew up in Michigan, surrounded by lakes and trees, but I think that greenery is incredibly restorative. And Dave, who grew up in Pennsylvania, was missing his Appalachian mountain road trips and pleasant drives through the hillsides.
Basically – it was nice to be back. 🙂
Emily’s wedding was absolutely beautiful, set on-top of a hill overlooking the Appalachian mountains for miles on either side. There was a lake in the distance that we could see from the ceremony. It was incredibly peaceful, relaxed, and magical.
Juxtapose that with today, back from our trip, entering straight into a Southern California heat wave, back to my full time job, laundry that needs do-ing, and an apartment that hasn’t been cleaned in weeks. It’s a dire state of affairs at The Gourmet Gourmand household.
I just want to go to a cabin in the woods and stay there permanently, alone, with 1000 fantasy novels. (Maybe Erwin and Dave can come too sometimes..)
But because we’ve been so busy with travel lately, I’ve been trying to find recipes that are simple, quick, and easy for me to make and photograph. Conveniently, I’ve found, that this is what many of you blog readers are actually most interested in (who would have thought, right?). I have to confess that I tend to be a complicated recipe lover… favoring authenticity and amazing flavor over everything else. But sometimes, when life happens, we need recipes that are fast, easy, and also delicious.
These chocolate cherry muffins fit that bill.
I found this recipe over on the Williams Sonoma page and tweaked it a bit for my personal preference (i.e. I added chocolate chips, because, well, that just seemed necessary). The muffins found their way to my office for eating and received rave reviews, if that helps to convince anyone that these are necessary in your lives.
So enough babbling, and I’ll let the photos and this recipe speak for themselves.
Time to get back into the swing of things… wish me luck!!
Chocolate Cherry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 8 Tbs. 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips plus more for garnishing.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12- cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
- Place the baking chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler set over water. Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate melts. Remove the pan from over the water and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer, in a large bowl beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add in the brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Next, mix in the egg, vanilla and melted chocolate. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, and mix just until smooth.
- Fold in the cherries and chocolate chips. Spoon the batter evenly between the lined muffin cups, filling them completely to the top. Don't worry if they are slightly over-full.
- Sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top of the muffins to garnish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let rest on a baking rack for about 2 minutes, then remove from muffin tin to cool completely.
- Best served slightly warm.
LOVE these muffins Sarah and LOVE your photos! Wish I could snatch one of these beauties right off the screen! Chocolate and cherries is such a wonderful combo. Love that you used buttermilk too. Enjoy your week!
Aww you are so nice Mary Ann! You know how I feel about your photos as well 😉 Looking forward to your posts this week!
I love the flavor of chocolate and cherries together. They are a match made in heaven and these look super tasty!
Yes! I totally agree they are a perfect flavor combo. Apparently we both had muffins on the brain this week.. thanks for taking the time to stop by 🙂
These look totally delicious and the perfect reward for tidying up ?
Haha which I’m still avoiding 😉 😉
My hubby will be forever grateful … he is such a chocoholic. 😛
Haha me too!!
That wedding setting sounds breathtaking! I love the East Coast as well (I’m from Buffalo and my hubby and I now live in DC), but I have to admit, it gets insanely hot/humid here in the summer too. (I’m a fall/winter girl, lol!)
These muffins look perfect and I love the use of buttermilk here and the addition of chocolate chips!
I’ve never been to Buffalo but I’ve heard it’s just gorgeous!
Chocolate and cherries are a delicious combination. The muffins make a nice treat during the day or in your case, easing but into everyday life.
Indeed! Thanks Karen 🙂
Chocolate and cherries are one of those combinations that always turns out delicious!
I totally agree Nicole!
Chocolate and cherry is always a winning combination! These look delicious 🙂
Thanks lady!
Girl. . .you and I are soul sisters. I love me some complicated recipes. I guess I have always used them as a way to relax and express my creativity. Plus, you have to work to get to the end result (versus instant gratification) so it is all the more rewarding. But there is nothing wrong with a quickie now and then (giggles). Especially when it comes to the muffin variety.
Chocolate and cherry (my heart just skipped a beat) always makes for a winning combination. And those little dots of chocolate chips. . .they’re whispering “hey girl. . .you know you want me”. I sure do! 😉
Gah I’ve missed you! Glad you’re back in action 🙂 Totally agreed about cooking as a way of expressing creativity.. it gets boring if it’s not creative!
P.S. We have the same dish towel. . .see. . .soul sisters. 😉
Omg no way!! Did you get it from etsy??
Emily’s wedding sounds absolutely perfect, you descibe it so beautifully I feel like I am right there with you. As for your choc cherry muffins… holy moly woman, I wanna lick my computer screen, they look flippin amazing. 🙂 I adore visiting your site, your photographs are phenominal. Looking forward to whipping up a batch of yummy muffins this weekend. 🙂
Thanks Anna!! It was absolutely lovely; thanks for the compliments 🙂
Chocolate and cherry are the perfect match! They look utterly delicious!
Thanks Katerina!
I lived in North Carolina for 4 years so I know how lovely the state can be, glad you had a nice time. I do have to admit as a blog reader (and blogger myself) that I too am drawn to simpler recipes. Lately I’ve been trying to make more things from magazine but find that every bowl and dish in my kitchen ends up being dirty and I’m like meh, was it worth the effort? lol. But these muffins, they look like they would fit right in to my cooking style, and chocolate and cherry combo – omg yum!!!
I didn’t know you lived in North Carolina! What part? We were in Cashiers, NC if you know where that is? It was just gorgeous!
Ohhh, you were in N to the C!! What city? So glad you had a fabulous time! Weddings are always so fun! Love these muffins.. well, lets get real. I love ALL muffins! 😉 The chocolate and cherry combo here sounds awesome! Such a perfect way to celebrate cherry season! Cheers!
We were in Cashiers- have you ever been? It’s about 3 hours from Atlanta and 3 hours from Charlotte. It was STUNNING! Seriously!