This year’s Fourth of July felt like the perfect excuse to get creative in the kitchen. Between celebrating Independence Day, the excitement of America’s 250th Birthday, and the world arriving on our doorstep for the FIFA World Cup. I wanted to bake something festive that tasted as good as it looked. So I started thinking… what naturally comes in red, white and blue? Sweet cherries, juicy blueberries and cashews sounded like a winning combination to me. Thankfully this kitchen experiment for Red, White & Blue Muffins turned out even better than I expected.
One of my favorite things about summer baking is using fruit that’s in season. Fresh cherries are worth the little extra effort to pit because they’re naturally sweet, juicy, and add beautiful pops of red throughout the muffins. The blueberries hold their color beautifully, and the buttery cashews? Well, cashews are white, so I just ran with it. Every bite is soft, tender and full of flavor. I’ve received so many messages from my taste-testing family and friends saying that these are their favorite muffins ever. That’s honestly the best compliment I can ask for!
The batter is thick, thicker than you might expect, and that is completely intentional. The density is what keeps all those beautiful fruits and nuts suspended throughout the muffin instead of sinking straight to the bottom during baking. Trust the batter! These Red, White & Blue muffins bake up with fruit in every bite and they look fantastic on a 4th of July dessert spread.
Quick Tips for the Best Results
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- Cut large cherry into smaller pieces. Fresh cherries can vary a lot in size. If your cherries are especially large, cut them in half or quarters after pitting. I eyeballed mine and quartered them to match the size of my blueberries.
- Don’t be surprised by the thick batter. This muffin batter is intentionally thick. That helps support the fruit and nuts so they stay suspended throughout the muffins instead of sinking to the bottom while baking.
- Fold your fruit and nuts in gently. Use a gently folding motion to keep the fruit from bursting or smearing. You want to keep those pops of red and blue instead of turning the whole batter purple.
These were such a fun reminder that sometimes the best recipes begin with a simple idea. “I wonder if these would taste good together?”
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare Muffin Pan with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and salt until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and beat well.
- Add milk and flour mixture, beat until combined.
- Carefully fold in cherries, blueberries and cashews.
- Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
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