Cleo Coyle Recipes.com: Light Strawberry Shortcake Muffins from Cleo Coyle

Light Strawberry Shortcake Muffins from Cleo Coyle

This is one of my favorite summertime muffins. It has the taste of a strawberry shortcake but with less fat and calories, making it a lovely breakfast or coffee-break snack.

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Eat with strawberry joy!

~ Cleo

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery

series with her husband.
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A Note from Cleo

These muffins are a real treat when fresh strawberries are in season. As I mentioned, they have the taste of strawberry shortcake but with less fat and calories. If you should want to make them richer, you certainly can. Simply replace the low fat milk with whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream.

However you decide to bake them, I hope you will eat with summertime joy! ~ Cleo

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🍓 Cleo Coyle's

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

Makes 6 standard muffins

Ingredients:

4 - 5 ounces of ripe strawberries (This equals about 4 medium,
or 3 large, or 8 small berries. Or about 2/3 cup when chopped.)
1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup white, granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons canola (or vegetable or cold-pressed virgin coconut) oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk (2% milk gives great results; for a richer tasting
muffin, use whole milk, half-and-half, or cream)
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup all-purpose flour

Method:

Step 1 - Prep oven, pan, and berries: Preheat oven to 350º F. Line six muffin cups with paper holders. To prevent muffins from sticking, lightly spray the papers with non-stick spray.

Wash your strawberries and gently pat them dry with a paper towel. (It's okay if they're still damp.) Hull them (see how below) and chop them into small, uniform pieces. If you slice them over a small bowl, you'll retain more of the juices. Once chopped, the strawberries should fill 2/3 cup and no more. Sprinkle berries with 1 tablespoon of sugar, toss well, and set aside the bowl.

How to hull a strawberry: Pinch off green stem. Using a small, sharp
knife, cut around the berry's crown (or move the berry in a circular
motion against the blade). You want to remove the fibrous white,
conical-shaped core, leaving as much fruit intact as possible

Step 2 - Make batter with one bowl mixing method: Crack egg into a mixing bowl and gently beat with a whisk or fork. Add 1/4 cup sugar, oil, vanilla, milk, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and whisk until well blended. Add chopped strawberries from Step 1. Be sure to include any strawberry juices that may have accumulated at the bottom of the strawberry bowl. Stir to blend.

Batter before flour is added.

Step 3 - Add dry ingredients: Measure flour and pour into the wet ingredients. With a spoon or spatula gently mix dry and wet ingredients to form a lumpy batter. Do not over mix at this stage, but be sure to blend the raw flour completely into your batter.

Never over mix muffin batter or you'll develop
the gluten in the flour and your muffins
will be tough instead of tender.

Step 4 - Bake: This batter will make 6 standard muffins so divide it up evenly among your paper-lined cups (don't forget to coat them lightly with non-stick spray). Bake in a well preheated 350º F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes. The muffins are not done until the tops have turned golden brown (see my photos)...

Step 5 - Cooling and storing: Allow the muffins to cool for five minutes in the pan. Remove and finish cooling on a wire rack. Once they're completely cool, you can wrap them in plastic and store them in the refrigerator. A little butter, a cuppa joe, and you're set for breakfast, a coffee break, or a late-night snack.