Sour Cream-Cherry Muffins with Pecan Streusel

I adore muffins for breakfast. My very favorite recipe for muffins comes from Cooks’ Illustrated. I used it a base for these muffins because I thought the sour cream and cherries would be great together. And of course, I had to add the streusel. (P.S. They don’t really need the butter on top.)

Sour Cream-Cherry Muffins with Pecan Streusel
Makes 12 regular sized muffins 

Ingredients:

For pecan streusel:
4 Tbsp. cold butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped pecans

For muffins:
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
4 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2-3/4 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped

Instructions:

For pecan streusel:
Mix together until crumbly. Set aside until ready to use. (Can also freeze in an airtight plastic container.)

For muffins:
In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk egg for 20 seconds and add granulated sugar. Continue whisking sugar and eggs until the mixture becomes light yellow and uniform in texture–about 30 more seconds to a minute. Add melted butter in 2-3 additions, whisking well after each addition. Add sour cream in 2 additions, whisk lightly until just combined.

Add the cherries to the dry ingredients and toss to coat with the flour mixture.

Carefully fold the wet ingredients into the flour and cherries. Don’t overmix. The batter will be very, very thick and some flour streaks may remain.

Using an ice cream scoop or a regular spoon, fill lined or well-greased muffin cups with the
batter. The cups will be very full–almost to the top. Top each muffin with 1 tablespoon of the Pecan Streusel. Gently press the streusel into the muffin batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, rotating the muffin tin halfway through the baking time. The muffins will be ready when golden on top and a toothpick or skewer comes out clean.

As soon as muffins come out of the oven, place them on a wire rack to cool.