Dried Cherry Muffins
rec.food.cooking/Mary Murphy (1992)

…This is one of my favorite recipes out of one of my favorite cookbooks (The New Basics, Rosso and Lukins)…

1 cup dried cherries, pitted (about 8 ounces with pits)
1 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
8 Tbsp (1 stick or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Combine the cherries and buttermilk in a small bowl, and set aside to soak for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter 18 muffin cups or line them with the paper liners. (Note: This recipe makes six big muffins, if you have that kind of muffin pan. Also, I just use Pam (spray vegetable oil) instead of buttering the pans.)

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and spoon the cherries and buttermilk into it. Then add the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until thoroughly blended - but do not overmix. If overmixed, the muffins will be tough.

Fill the cups 2/3 full with the batter, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool.

My variations:
These muffins come out rather dense, so I use only 1/4 cup butter and 1 or 2 Tbsp vegetable oil instead of 1/2 cup butter. Also, I like to add 1 tsp grated orange or lemon zest to add even more flavor. Macadamia nut pieces (1/2 cup or more) are good to add too. If you can't find dried cherries, try other dried fruit. Dried apricots works really well.