Plum Sour Cream Muffins

I love muffins. They are quick and easy to whip up and make a great on-the-go breakfast or snack. This recipe comes from an all-time favorite book of mine – King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking. I have made a lot of baked goods from this book and they have consistently turned out moist, tender, and scrumptious. It amazes me every single time to know that they are made mostly from whole grain and that not only do they taste delicious but they are healthy for you too. Enjoy!

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

Excerpt from the book: This is the most dependable, moist versatile whole grain muffin recipe we know. The batter is a little on the stiff side, the better to hold together when juicy berries and fruits are stirred in, yet the muffins themselves are very tender.

2 cups (8 ounces) white whole wheat flour
½ cup (2 1/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (½ stick, 2 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1½ cups (7½ ounces) fresh or frozen berries or diced stone fruits (such as peaches or plums) of your choice – I used plum this time
Coarse sugar for sprinkling

Lightly grease a muffin tin, or line with papers and coat the papers with nonstick spray. Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy and almost white in color. Scrape down the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated, then turn the mixer back on and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream, and mix until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed just until the batter is smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once more, to be sure everything is evenly combined. Gently fold in the fruit and refrigerate at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scoop the batter by the ¼-cupful into the prepared pan and sprinkle with sugar or other topping. Bake the muffins until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 26 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to finish cooling.