Cherry Almond Muffins or Coffee Cake

Cherry Almond Muffins or Coffee Cake

  • Prep Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hrs
  • Yield: 7jumbo muffins or 14 regular

    • About This Recipe

    “I’m not sure where I originally got this recipe but I just recently tried it myself. Since the batter is more like a dough, I found it incredibly hard to layer in the muffin tins as described. Next time I’m going to use my springform pan and make a layered coffeecake instead and bake it for about 50 minutes.”

    Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cupsall-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cupsugar, plus
  • 1tablespoonsugar
  • 1/2 teaspoonbaking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoonbaking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoonsalt
  • 1/2 cupbutter, cold
  • 1egg
  • 3/4 cupsour cream
  • 1teaspoonalmond extract

    • Topping

  • 1/3 cupall-purpose flour
  • 2tablespoonssugar
  • 2tablespoonsbutter, cold
  • 1/3 cupalmonds, sliced, chopped

    • Filling

  • 1 (8ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1egg
  • 1/4 cupsugar
  • 1/2 teaspoonvanilla extract
  • 3/4 cupcherry preserves, warmed

    • Directions

  • In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Beat the egg, sour cream and extract until smooth; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be thick).
  • Combine flour and sugar in a small bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in almonds: set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
  • Fill greased jumbo muffin cups half full with batter.
  • Divide cream cheese filling and preserves evenly between muffin cups; swirl gently. Cover with remaining batter. Sprinkle with topping.
  • Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
  • Editor’s Note: If using regular-size muffin cups, bake for 20-25 minutes.

    • Reviews

  • “FanTAStic!!I took these to work today and they were scarfed up immediately.The sweet tartness of the cherries, the creamy smoothness of the cheese, and the light texture of the biscuit base combine to make something close to the perfect muffin!”

  • “Absolutely the best !!!Can’t wait to try it with peaches or blueberry’s or…everything else !!Thank you so much for a great recipe.I did not have cream cheese or jam, used instead a can of cherry pie filling and made a glaze of powdered sugar, butter & almond extract……holy cow…can’t stay away from it…thanks again !!”

  • “Oh Marg! This was absolutely delicious!! The muffin in the picture looked sooo tempting that I had to give it a shot! I took your advice and made it in an 8 inch springform pan.My bake time was of 65 minutes.My topping was alot more crumbly than the one in the picture, so next time I might increase the butter- and there WILL be a next time! Also, I substituted yogurt for the sour cream.All in all this cake was to die for!! My whole family inhaled it.Thanks for a winner Marg! :)”

  • “I thought these were terrible.I have tasted so much better.Def. not making again.I followed the exact recipe.Don’t know what all the hoopla is about.I am a foodie, collect cookbooks, for example Ina Garten etc. make and sell homemade chocolates/pickles/jams.Have put together 2 fundraising cookbooks throughout the years.Collect all clad, le creuset, emile henry.Taste just wasn’t there for me and also they cost alot to make.Mad as hell.”

  • “I’m movin’ on up…to the next girdle size. I did mess up a tad. I forgot to cut in the almonds into the topping mixture so I sprinkled them over the top before baking. To keep them adhering a little better I drizzled on a glaze with good effect, too! Made for Best of 2009 tag.”

  • “Wowee! These are some amazing muffins. They have a very delicate cake-like texture from using the biscuit method to prepare them (and do not taste too unlike a biscuit). I discovered mid-preparation that I only had about 2 ounces of cream cheese, so I halved the other filling ingredients. I could not really detect the cream cheese, because of my blunder. The preserve layer was great, I did half a dozen with cherry, and the other half with raspberry. Both were delicious. I used nonfat sour cream and Smart Balance for the butter, and cut back a few tablespoons of it, subbing applesauce. Still absolutely divine! I did not find it a problem, but it is more fussy to layer the dough, then cream cheese, preserves, dough, and then the topping for each muffin. I loved having it as muffins, but some people would definitely prefer making this as a coffeecake for ease sake. The topping is reminiscent of a crunchy butter cookie, and contributes to the overall deliciousness of these muffins!”

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