Blackberry + Ground Cherry Coffee Cake Muffins

   

A few weeks ago we picked up ground cherries and blackberries at the farmers market. Ground cherries are always delicious in baked goods so I wanted to find something that would highlight them. Last year I made a Ground Cherry + Blueberry Pie and thought blackberries would nicely complement the ground cherries as well. I served these muffins after dinner at a small game night we hosted and they were a hit. 

Recipe adapted from Bake or Break. 

Ingredients:
Crumb Topping
-3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
-1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

Muffins
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
-1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
-1/4 cup granulated sugar
-2 large eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 cup buttermilk
-2 ounces blackberries
-2 ounces ground cherries

First, make the crumb topping by combining the flour, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl. 

Next, add the cold butter and mix with a fork or your hands until crumbs form. Refrigerate the crumb topping while you make the muffins. 

Preheat your oven to 350 and line a standard muffin tin with 12 paper cups.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using a mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add in about one third of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined and then add about half of the buttermilk. Mix again until just combined, add another third of the flour, then the remaining buttermilk, and finally the last of the flour. Make sure not to over mix.

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Top each with ground cherries and blackberries and sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of the crumb topping on each muffin. 

Bake 25-30 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.