Fresh strawberry muffins with a chocolate surprise.

Saturday morning was beautiful.  Sunny and cool.  Perfect for a shopping trip to the Collingswood Farmers’ Market.  It’s the second week and I was looking for more asparagus, more spinach, and MORE STRAWBERRIES!  While the strawberries from last week weren’t super sweet, they were fresh and bright.

I recently stumbled on a pile of old Family Fun magazines.  As I went through them to recycle I realized that each of the fifteen magazines had been saved for a reason.  In an issue dated February 1998 I found a recipe for strawberry muffins stuff with a chocolate kiss.  I tore out the recipe but immediately updated it in my head.  Fresh strawberries and a   dark chocolate Lindor truffle.

I’m not much of a baker.  I like to grill meats, roast vegetables, invent a sauce.  But I had strawberries.  And Sunday afternoon was languishing ahead of me.

These muffins are quick to prepare and smell delicious while baking.

INGREDIENTS:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
20 strawberries
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 Hershey kisses (or Lindor truffles) or your favorite chocolate candy.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Then in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar.  I just used my trusty old wooden spoon.  Next mix in the eggs, one at a time, and then add milk.

Rinse the strawberries, cut off the greens, slice into a couple of pieces (not too thin).  Mash the berries slightly.  Keep some nice sized pieces and release some juice.  Stir the berries into the butter/milk mixture.

In a separate bowl, measure the flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir well.

Add the flour mixture to the berry mixture.  Stir until all of the white is gone.

Line a twelve muffin tray with paper liners.  Drop the batter from a tablespoon to fill halfway.  Add the unwrapped chocolate candy (or jam).  Spoon more batter to cover the candy and fill the muffin cup.

Bake until the muffins begin to brown.  About 20 to 25 minutes.

Test with a toothpick inserted near the center.  The toothpick should come out clean.

Makes 12.

At first husband complained that I was taking his truffles (or chocolate bombs, as he calls them) but the muffins smelled great and with the piano music of Erik Satie (performed by Phillipe Entremont) wafting through the house and a cup of hot tea they tasted even better .