Adding just a little bit of sugar to strawberries and baking them in the oven gives the strawberries a stronger flavour when used in this muffin, pairing well with the buttery streusel.
When cut, they present a bit more like a candied jewel than cooked fruit. It is still strawberries, just a bit “more”.
Strawberries are something that one cooks with when they aren’t looking too great. Either they are about to turn, or have the tell tale paleness that means they may not be sweet enough to enjoy as is.
I made a muffin with strawberries, and it was ok, but there were some pink mushy things in it.
Maybe because muffins don’t get enough time in the oven like pies or loaf cakes do, where the added fresh fruit might get the time to cook and change.
Maybe I needed to cut the strawberries smaller. That helped a little bit.
Moisture content varies in fruit as well.
Or I could dry them in the oven, like oven dried tomatoes.
Just to remove some moisture.
Turns out it is a thing.
They are not dehydrated and crunchy, or chewy like raisins, they just have less water in them, which concentrates the flavour and the strawberries are soft, but not juicy and soft.
I will still bake with fresh strawberries, but this was nice.
I started with 2 lbs (900g) of fresh strawberries
How to Make Oven Dried Strawberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
INGREDIENTS
Printable version below
Makes 12-14 muffins
Prep time: 40 minutes
Baking time: 27 minutes
Oven dried Strawberry Muffins
- 2 cups (270g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (65g) whole wheat flour, or substitute all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60mL) vegetable oil, I used avocado
- ½ cup (125mL) 2% milk
- ¼ cup (60mL) sour cream
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, I used organic cane
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 120g or so, oven dried strawberries, it will take about 2 lbs fresh strawberries (900g)
Streusel Topping
-
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
-
¼ cup (56g) cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes
-
½ cup (67g) all purpose flour
-
¼ tsp salt
-
½ tsp ground ginger
Ingredients for the Oven dried Strawberry Muffins
Ingredients for the Streusel Topping
Line or grease 12-14 muffin tins. I usually get at least 14 muffins.
I cut the soft dried strawberries a bit more to distribute through the batter. I find kitchen scissors work better than a knife.
Start with the Streusel Topping
1. For the streusel, combine the sugar, flour, salt and ginger. Mix well to combine.
2. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or you could use a food processor and pulse a few times until it starts to clump.
3. If you are using a pastry cutter, mix with a spoon or rub together with your hands so it is more clumpy rather than powdery.
Keep in the refrigerator until needed.
For the Muffin
1. For the muffins, combine together the flours, salt and baking powder, then whisk together or sieve.
2. Beat together the butter, oil and the sugars. Add the vanilla.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time to make sure they are fully incorporated.
4. Blend in the sour cream, then about half of the flour.
5. Mix in all of the milk.
6. With the rest of the flour mixture, toss in the dried strawberries to coat them in the flour a bit.
7. Fold everything through, but try not to over mix. Every time you take a scoop of batter you will be mixing as well.
8. Divide into the muffin cups and bake 375°F (190°C) for about 27 minutes.
If you don’t use the streusel and just sprinkle the top with sugar, or nothing, reduce the baking time by 2 -3 minutes.
Oven Dried Strawberry Muffins with Streusel
Baking strawberries in the oven before adding to muffin batter intensifies the flavour, pairing well with the buttery streusel.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Bake Time: 27 minutes
Yield: 12 -14 muffins
INGREDIENTS
For the Muffin
- 2 cups (270g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (65g) whole wheat flour, or substitute all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup (60mL) vegetable oil, I used avocado
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, room temperature, or oil as above
- ½ cup (125mL) 2% milk
- ¼ cup (60mL) sour cream
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 120g or so, oven dried strawberries cut smaller, kitchen shears work well
For the Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (56g) cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes
- ½ cup (67g) all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground ginger
INSTRUCTIONS
Line or grease 12-14 muffin tins. I usually get 12 well filled muffins.
Streusel Topping
- For the streusel, combine the sugar, flour, salt and ginger. Mix well to combine.
- Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or you could use a food processor and pulse a few times until it starts to clump.
- If you are using a pastry cutter, mix with a spoon or rub together with your hands so it is more clumpy rather than powdery.
Keep in the refrigerator until needed.
Muffin
- For the muffins, combine together the flours, salt and baking powder, then whisk together or sieve.
- Beat together the butter, oil and the sugars. Add the vanilla.
- Add the eggs, one at a time to make sure they are fully incorporated.
- Blend in the sour cream, then about half of the flour.
- Mix in all of the milk.
- With the rest of the flour mixture, toss in the dried strawberries to coat them in the flour a bit.
- Fold everything through, but try not to over mix. Every time you take a scoop of batter you will be mixing as well.
- Divide into the muffin cups and bake 375°F (190°C) for about 27 minutes.
If you don’t use the streusel and just sprinkle the top with sugar, or nothing, reduce the baking time by about 3 minutes.
