Good Morning

Cherry Almond Muffins

Cook's notes: These muffins are perfect for your summer breakfast or brunch. Recipe adapted from twopeasandthierpod and makes a dozen.  I omitted the white icing glaze suggested in the recipe as I thought muffins did not need extra sweetness.   

Cooking Tip: If using frozen cherries thaw completely on double thickness paper towels. Cut cherries in half and pat dry before adding to batter. 

Ingredients:
For the muffins:

•  2 cups white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour  (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour)  
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 1 tsp. almond extract 
• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk or regular milk
• 1/3 cup almonds
•  1 cup fresh cherries, pits removed and halved or 1 package (12 oz.) frozen sweet cherries, thawed

For the almond streusel topping:

• 1/2 cup almonds 
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 
•  2 TB. white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• 1-1/2 TB. cold butter 

Optional almond glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar 
• 3 TB. vanilla almond milk or regular milk
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract 

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper muffin liners. 
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. 
• Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and almond milk or regular milk. Mix until combined, do not over beat.  Add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Gently stir in the almonds and cherries. 
•  In a small bowl, combine the almonds, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter. Mix together with your hands until crumbly or pulse a few times in food processor.  
• Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Sprinkle muffins with the almond streusel topping. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let muffins cool on a wire rack.

Raspberry Sunrise Smoothie
Cook's notes: It's refreshing and made with only 4 ingredients! 
Recipe from damndelicious.net
Ingredients;

• 1- 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1- 1/2 cups frozen mango chunks
• 2/3 cup orange juice

Directions:

• Combine raspberries, milk and 1/2 cup ice in blender until smooth; set aside.
• Combine mango, orange juice and 1/2 cup ice in blender until smooth; set aside.
• Serve raspberry mixture immediately, topped with mango mixture as shown below.
• In photo above I combined both mixtures as an alternative.