I haven’t made muffins in a long time and I’ve been craving some sweet ones that have a crunchy, sugary topping. I found exactly what I was looking for a few days ago and I quickly put the recipe on my list of those to make. Yesterday was the day. I was in the kitchen for quite a while, scrambling around while preparing not only the muffins, but some dinner rolls as well. I’ll share the dinner roll recipe after this one. Probably tomorrow.
The Recipe
This recipe makes a great muffin. My favorite parts are the strawberries, pecans and sugar. The tops of the muffins include a nice layer of both the strawberries and the pecans, with those two ingredients being included in the center of the muffins as well. On the very top is the sugary crust that makes everything just so much better. The sugar is sprinkled on about one third of the way of the baking time, so it sort of comes together and forms a crisp edge. I love muffins like this.
Ingredients
Makes: 8 Muffins
1 Stick of Butter, Softened
1 1/4 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 1/2 Cups Fresh Strawberries, Chopped, Divided
3/4 Cup Pecans, Chopped, Divided
Sugar for Sprinkling
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank Taste of the South for this recipe. This resource has been very good to me and I’ve prepared some really great dishes and desserts that they’ve shared, so thank you.
Pre-Heat Oven
Arrange your oven racks so one is in the center position. Then, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the Sugar Mixture
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the brown sugar and butter. Turn the mixer on medium speed and mix until both of these ingredients are combined. Then, add the eggs and vanilla and mix again, until everything is combined. You’ll likely need to use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl for better mixing.
Combine Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Use a whisk to mix these ingredients together well.
Mix the Above
Slowly add the flour and buttermilk, in small and opposing quantities, to the stand mixer bowl. Add a cup of flour and then a bit of buttermilk and continue alternating until all the flour mixture and the buttermilk have been combined with the sugar mixture. Be sure to use the low setting on the stand mixer and continue only as long as necessary.
When finished with that and when the batter is smooth, add in one cup of the strawberries and half cup of the pecans. Using a spatula, gently fold these two ingredients into the rest.
Add Batter to Muffin Pan
Butter eight cups of the muffin pans. I have two pans that hold six cups each, so I used both pans, but only two slots of the second pan. After thoroughly buttering the cups, divide the batter between the eight spots. After that, sprinkle the remaining strawberries and pecans on top of the batter.
Bake the Muffins
Add the muffin trays to the oven and let the muffins bake for ten minutes. Then, remove the trays and sprinkle a nice coating of white granulated sugar over each muffin. Place the trays back into the oven for another 25 minutes. You’ll know the muffins are done when you insert a toothpick in their centers and it comes out clean.
The Final Strawberry & Pecan Muffins
These are very rich and robust muffins. They’re quite heavy to pick up, which I really like. The crunch on top is perfect and the strawberries and pecans are just right. If you decide to try this recipe out, please let me know your thoughts down in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!
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