Chia Cherry Muffins

| chia cherry muffins |

Could the name for these be any less sexy? Chia Cherry Muffins. Snore. But, there are actually a lot of really exciting things happening in here. Most importantly, it’s a healthy muffin masquerading as a delicious one. Let’s face a cold hard fact…in reality, most muffins are just cupcakes without the frosting. I mean, really, who are we kidding? Sure they taste good, but should we really be shoving that in our gullet on a Tuesday morning? Not unless we can squeeze in an 11am nap and an extra spin class into every day. A’int nobody got time for that.

I know I’m all browned butter and dark chocolate all of the time, but lately one of my kid’s (who shall remain nameless) eating habits is stressing me out a bit. I wanted to create an uber healthy muffin that they would eat for breakfast or as a snack and it would be filled with lots of good-for-you stuff. The problem is, this said individual is really drawn to crappy food. So unless it tastes really sinful (read: loaded with fat and sugar) this person will not eat it. I wanted to create a yummy, healthy base muffin recipe in which you could shove whatever sounded exciting in there. And I’ve done it. Yay.

I’ve been testing this for weeks. Every Sunday I make a new batch. I adjust the almond meal. Omit the almond meal. Add different fruit. Shove in some flaxseed. And then I make my fussy eater take a bite. What do you think? I implore.  Scale of 1-to-10 it! I demand. With consistent 10+ ratings, I had to share. Because trust me, 10+ scores are not doled out frequently unless I’m testing cookies, cakes or scones.

I know this is quite the pious departure…I’ll be back with my gluttonous programming shortly…

Some Quick Notes:

• Almond Meal. I added almond meal in here to cut down on the all-purpose flour and white whole-wheat flour. Almond meal is pretty easy to get (I like the Trader Joes brand), low glycemic, high in protein and loaded with lots of vitamins and minerals. Plus, it keeps that gross spongy muffin thing at bay, which most healthy muffins have. Do you know what I’m talking about?
• Nut Allergies. If you are allergic to almonds, use 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of white whole-wheat flour. Just omit the almond meal and you’re good.
• Add-Ins. I tested these with chocolate + almonds and used a whopping two cups of dark chocolate (I know, I have a problem) and substituted the vanilla extract for almond extract. I then sprinkled the tops with almond slivers. I loved this one. For the blueberry + lemon test, I did the same thing, two cups of fresh blueberries plus one tablespoon lemon zest, and I kept the vanilla extract in. I would probably change this up seasonally. What about strawberries? Cranberries? Fresh cherries? Raspberries? Figs?
• Protein. I wanted this to keep my kids satisfied until lunch so I packed it with as much protein as possible without shoving a steak in here. It’s loaded with almond meal, three eggs and Greek yogurt.
• Sugar. I tested this with regular brown sugar (light and dark), dark muscovado sugar and a combination of 1/3 cup brown sugar + 1/3 cup maple syrup. I did these latter two combos to cut down on refined sugars. All of these worked great. My personal favorite was the brown sugar-maple syrup combo (which is used in the recipe below). If you want to use straight brown sugar/muscovado, use 2/3 cup. One last note, the cherry muffins were made with the muscovado; you can see how much darker the muffin is. If you scroll to the bottom and look at the blueberry chia muffin, you’ll see what the light-brown sugar will yield a lighter colored muffin.
• Chia Seeds. Are you eating these yet? I’ve been obsessed with them for years…mostly enjoyed just dropped in water and sipped on throughout the morning. This is my first foray into baking with them. I love the texture they give the muffin. They are nutrient dense, loaded with antioxidants and for a plant-based food, surprisingly high in protein.
• Flaxseeds. Loaded with fiber, nutrients and healthy fats. Yes, two tablespoons please.
• Freeze dem Muffins. Did you know you could do this? Mix these up until the point of filling the muffins papers with the batter and then pop them in the freezer. After an hour-ish, once they are frozen, take out of the muffin tin and put the chia cherry muffins into a resealable freezer-safe plastic bag. Bake them off when you’re ready to eat and tack on several extra minutes to the bake time to make sure they’re baked through. Voile. Fresh chia cherry muffins all week long. Love it.

Let’s get piousAF, shall we?

| chia cherry muffins |

Makes 16 Regular-Size Chia Cherry Muffins

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken and at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I’m a fan of sunflower seed oil)
• 1/3 cup greek yogurt, room temperature (I used 2%)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup almond meal
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cup dried tart cherries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mix together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, greek yogurt, brown sugar, maple syrup, chia seeds, 3 eggs, orange zest and vanilla extract. Set aside for thirty minutes to give the chia seeds time to puff up.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Make sure a rack is in the center of the oven. Line a muffin tin with muffin wrappers.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond meal, all-purpose flour, white whole-wheat flour, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt.
4. Pour the flour mixture into the chia seed mixture and blend until not quite mixed. Add 1 1/2 cups of the tart cherries. Mix until just combined.
5. Divide evenly amongst 16 regular-size muffin cups.
6. Bake on the center rack for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when pressed in the center of a muffin.
7. Let cherry muffins cool in the muffin tin for ten minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
8. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.

| on my mind |

• Two documentaries you have to watch: Everything is Copy and Nothing Left Unsaid. The first is about Norah Ephron, who I love. When I read her writing I feel like she is talking just to me. Do you know what I mean? Her voice is so strong. The latter is about Gloria Vanderbilt. Anderson Cooper interviews his mom and it’s not what I knew of her life. I think of crayon-colored jeans with swans on the pocket. But her life was filled with sadness and hope and tragedy and art and love.
• I just recently OD’d on the series Top of the Lake. Do it!!!!! The next season should be coming out soon.
• More healthy DisplacedHousewife recipes to get your week started: Thai Noodle Salad, Braised Datil Chicken, Dirty Baked Potato Soup, Thai Lettuce Wraps and Quinoa Turkey Burgers.
• I made these chia cherry muffins over on Snapchat (displacedtaitai)…if you head over there today or tomorrow, you should be able to catch it. It’s a bit more like a silent film, as everyone was sleeping. But, you know, Snapchat.
• Recently on DisplacedHousewife: Fresh Strawberry Cream Scones, Chai-Spiced Granola Oatmeal Cookies, Chai-Spiced Granola, Thai Noodle Salad, Chocolate Rye Stout Cake + Marshmallow Whiskey Meringue, Tart Cherry Almond Scones, Harissa Sliders with Feta-Harissa Secret Sauce, and Brown Butter Muscovado Snickerdoodles.
• I just got a Hatchery subscription for my mom for Mother’s Day (she already knows). If you order before the end of the day, today, it will arrive on time! I’m going to keep including this info until Hatchery revokes my coupon code! I love my monthly boxes and they make awesome gifts. Either click here or on the banner at the top of the page, use the coupon code DHW10 and get your first Hatchery box for $10.
• I’m currently obsessed with cauliflower purée. I know it’s not new, but it’s so good and so filling and so good for you. Anyone with me?!?!
• Be sure to use #displacedhousewife and tag me @displacedhousewife when you make a DisplacedHousewife recipe so that I can see all of your beautiful stuff.
• Have a wonderful week!! xoxo

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