17 Cherry Walnut Coffee Cake Muffins

Thank you all for such supportive and encouraging comments!  I'm definitely not giving up, I'm the kind of person who isn't afraid of getting told no, I have to try.  What's the quote...something about how you miss 100% of the chances you never take.  I'm sure I have it on here somewhere....

This morning I went to one of the most physically challenging yoga classes I've ever taken, complete jello arms by the end, oof!  (But I love it!)  As the instructor paced between our mats, calling out words like chaturanga and shavasana, she kept mentioning letting go.  I got to thinking about where I feel the most free.  As an adult I think it gets harder to find places where you can just throw your head back and laugh.  Free.

I've imagined some dramatic scene where I'm standing on a wide, empty, beach with the wind blowing my hair off my face as I cast a determined stare out to sea.  Full of strength and dignity, but does strength equal freedom?  And then I watch our little Watson raise his little puppy butt in the air before going on a full charge after his toy.  I can't help but laugh at his unbridled joy.  Free.  

Anyways, a fun conversation/discussion to have over these delicious cherry muffins and a cup of tea.  

I love cherries and grew up watching my mom eat them straight from the colander but I never got into them mostly because of the work involved in avoiding the pit.  So when OXO offered to send me their cherry pitter I got really excited.  

I had never used a pitter before, and now I'm a pitting machine.  It's so easy!  You just put the cherry in the little cup and boom, the pit pops right out leaving you with the perfect bite.  

Cherry Walnut Coffee Cake Muffins
(Adapted from Seattle Times)

Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Egg
3/4 cup Milk
1/3 cup Grapeseed oil

1 1/2 cups Fresh Cherries, stems removed, pitted and roughly chopped or halved
Cooking spray

1.  Line a muffin tin with paper cups and spray evenly with cooking spray.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

2.  In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon.  Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

4.  In another bowl, mix together the oil, milk and egg.  Whip in the egg and mix together.

5.  Now combine the egg mixture to the flour mixture stirring until blended, do not over mix.  Now add your prepared cherries and stir in.

6.  Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the batter into the bottom of each muffin cup.  Now add a sprinkle (about 1/2 - 1 teaspoon) of the brown sugar mixture over the top of each.  Be sure to save some to top each muffin.  

7.  Now fill the rest of the cups with the batter and then sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture over the top of each muffin.

8.  Bake for 20-22 minutes, until lightly browned.

Enjoy!

*OXO provided me with the Cherry pitter to review, but all opinions are my own*