Cherry-Almond Muffins

I was ultra-tempted to entitle my post "Bluffin' with my muffin"...and then realized I really needed to drop the Lady Gaga references before you all start referring to me as a "little monster" and begin to think I buy Lady Gaga stickers to decorate my pink glitter notebooks. Because I don't actually have pink glitter notebooks...or rather, I don't actually have Gaga stickers. That's more accurate.

In any case, if you don't feel like kick-starting your day with a little Bad Romance or Edge of Glory, grab a muffin instead. Muffins seem to have this magical aura about them. Imagining a muffin for breakfast evokes images of happy flufiness, warm aromas, and a mug of tea. Lounging around and picking apart a huge, cloud-like muffin is a way to ensure a great morning, for a lot of people--French and American alike.

Plus, a muffin is like a blank canvas that a/ you can eat and that b/ tastes good. Meaning, you can add whatever you feel like having and it becomes a perfect expression of all your food fantasies of the moment. Simple blueberries? Go for it. Nobody will look down upon you if you opt for chocolate and peanut butter (hey, this is a muffin, so it's healthy...or not).

For a team breakfast at work, I went the seasonal route and put fresh cherries to good use in cherry-almond muffins...with a marzipan center. Healthy? Half. Good enough. And perfect for breakfast purposes.

Cherries on their own: delicious. Cherries + toasted slivered almonds? Getting even better. Cherries, toasted slivered almonds, and marzipan? That's what I'm talking about when I mean perfect for breakfast. Or a midnight snack, or whenever, really.

Cherry-Almond Muffins

makes 15

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. raw cane sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
1/2 c. milk (I used skim)
2 TS baking powder
1/2 TS salt
2 c. cherries, pitted and cut in half
1/2 c. toasted slivered almonds
1 TS almond extract
1/4 log marzipan, optional

Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.

Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time.

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Add to butter alternately with milk.

Stir in almond extract, cherries, and slivered almonds.

Spoon into greased or lined muffin cups. On top of each, add a small ball of marzipan (or a huge one, but you get to decide how much indulgence you're looking for!)

Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack.