Cherries!!!

I generally don't like cherries.  But my good friend Chris Belleau, who has a fabulous gallery on Wickendon St., has a sour cherry tree with more cherries than he can use and for the third year in a row, I picked a bunch.  This year, I modified my Rhubarb Goldberg Machine recipe, substituting with sour cherries, mini chocolate chips, and almond extract added to plain yogurt.  The results?  Delicious!

Vegetarian/Wild Option*

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Rhubarb Goldberg Machine 

Taste of Earth

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Prep: 10 minutes  Cook: 25 minutes  Makes twelve muffins

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 cup strawberry yogurt*

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup unbleached flour

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup rhubarb stalks, sliced 1/4” thick*

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

This muffin has it all, but bakes light and fluffy.  Melt butter.  In a small bowl, whisk in eggs, then yogurt and buttermilk.  Sift dry ingredients in large bowl.  Mix  rhubarb, oatmeal, and nuts into dry mix.  Stir wet ingredients into dry until just moistened.  Fill 12 greased muffin tins.  Bake at 400ºF 20-25 minutes.

* Substitute plain or other yogurt flavors depending on fruit selected.  Try adding a teaspoon of vanilla or orange extract with autumn olives, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, or strawberries, peeled apple or pear with cinnamon or ground ginger, pumpkin or zucchini with nutmeg, or cherry with chocolate chips.