This is a favorite recipe, and the little treats--the cross of sourdough scones and muffins or "scuffins"--are great for back-to-school munching. The scuffins are loaded with dried cherries, chocolate chips, and chopped almonds. The recipe is easy--no rolling, just plopping in muffin tins--and the scuffins bake in about 25 minutes. How do they taste? Incredibly good, especially warm out of the oven, bursting with bright, tart cherries and with little bits of chocolate goodness oozing out. The sides of the scuffins are crisp--like a scone. The insides of the scuffin are a cross between a yeast bread and a muffin. In other words, you get the best of both. Yes, you need some sourdough starter, but no, that's not hard. Do a search on some of my previous postings for sourdough. And, yes, a sourdough starter is worth doing, as sourdough has some great health benefits, besides being a cool cooking project. Enjoy!
Sourdough Cherry-Chocolate Scuffins -- Makes 12
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard (I use whole wheat)
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 egg
1/3 cup of sugar
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of butter
1/3 cup of dried cherries
1/3 cup of chocolate chips
1/3 cup of chopped almonds, preferably toasted
Turbinado (raw) sugar, to sprinkle (optional)
In a large bowl, combine the starter, oil, egg, and sugar until blended. You can let this mixture sit for while if you're busy. Or not. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork until it's well distributed and forms smallish clumps. Stir the flour mixture into the starter mixture. Stir in the dried cherries, chocolate chips, and almonds. Coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray. Divide the batter among the wells. Sprinkle a little turbinado sugar on the top of each scuffin. Spray one side of a piece of plastic wrap with non-stick spray and place on top of the scuffins. Put the pan in the refrigerator or a cool place over night, if you'd like to bake the scuffins in the morning. If you're baking the scuffins immediately, never mind the plastic wrap. Instead, set the oven to 400 degrees, and when it's hot, put in the pan of scuffins. Bake them for 20-25 minutes until a light golden brown on top. Loosen the scuffins in the muffin pan, and let the scuffins cool a few minutes before serving them. Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum.
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