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

1. 1. 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.
   2. 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.
   3. 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?”

The post Red, White & Blue Muffins with Cherries, Blueberries & Cashews for the 4th of July appeared first on She Bakes They Eat.

Now, fair warning before you get started. Once you mix up this batter, you are going to want to eat it straight from the bowl, and I don’t blame you. There’s just one tiny problem: this recipe makes exactly 12 cookies. So taste responsibly! The good news is you really don’t need to show much restraint, because these cookies bake up with that same irresistible cookie dough flavor. If you are a cookie dough lover, these cookies were made for you.

Baking Tips

1. Sort your M&M’s before you start. Crush the ugly ones to fold into the batter. Save your prettiest whole M&Ms to press on top of each cookie right before they go into the oven. It makes a huge difference in how they look!
2. Don’t overbake. This is the most important tip! Pull these out of the oven when the bottoms are just lightly golden, even if the tops still look underdone. They will continue to set as they cool and that’s exactly what gives them that delicious cookie dough texture.
3. Make them picture perfect. If your cookies spread unevenly and come out looking a little wonky, don’t panic. Use a large round cookie cutter to gently swirl around the cookie while it’s still warm. That little nudge will get them right in shape.

If you’re gathering to celebrate a patriotic holiday this year, these Red, White & Blue Peanut M&M cookies fit the bill. Trust me, they won’t last long once they hit the dessert table! #Murica

The post Red, White & Blue Peanut M&M Cookies appeared first on She Bakes They Eat.