I know that it’s not exactly strawberry season anymore, but in my defense, I had all the intention of sharing this in July when it was prime strawberry season. But, as always, life gets in the way. Better late than never, right? Considering they sell non-local strawberries in the store year-round, perhaps just this once it’s okay to buy those imported precious fruits. Because you need to make these little beauts this weekend. They are a perfect reminder of those now-dwindling hot days. Something to get us by until life comes back again next Spring?
Now, you may be asking why roast the strawberries when you can just throw them into the batter? Yes, you can certainly do that. But first, hear me out. Strawberries are naturally a very watery fruit. And, they can lose their flavor really quickly. Therefore, a little roasting helps really bring out that strong flavor, cook out some of their water and just make them little bites of candy in a sense. Why else do you think we marinate strawberries in sugar before making strawberry shortcakes? To bring out their sweetness of course! So try these muffins out, because the roasting makes all the difference.
Recipe barely adapted from Everyday Annie
Roasted Strawberry Muffins
These muffins are bursting with fresh strawberry flavor, thanks to roasted them ahead of time. Moist, and perfect for a summer breakfast with a big cup of coffee.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. strawberries, rinsed, hulled and quartered
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla sugar, or regular granulated sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt, or whole milk yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- Coarse sugar, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Spread the berries out on the baking sheet, sprinkle with the vanilla sugar and toss gently to mix. Place in the oven and roast, stirring once or twice, until the berries are tender and have released most of their juices, about 20-22 minutes. Place a colander or strainer over a bowl or liquid measuring cup and strain the berries, reserving the excess juices. You will have approximately 1/4 cup of juice. If you are short on juice, add milk to adjust to correct measurement.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350ºF. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flours, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, combine the strawberry juice, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined and no dry streaks remain. Gently fold in the strawberries with a spatula.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin liners. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before serving.
