CHOCOLATE CHERRY MUFFINS
We just got back from a glorious weekend in North Carolina for my childhood friend Emily’s wedding. (Congratulations Emily and Andy! I’m so happy for you guys and we LOVED your wedding!)
While San Diego is a wonderful place and beautiful in its own desert-on-the-ocean way, I have to say that I miss the greenery and trees that populate the east, especially in the early summer. Maybe it’s because I grew up in Michigan, surrounded by lakes and trees, but I think that greenery is incredibly restorative. And Dave, who grew up in Pennsylvania, was missing his Appalachian mountain road trips and pleasant drives through the hillsides.
Basically – it was nice to be back. ??Chocolate Cherry Muffins – thegourmetgourmand.comEmily’s wedding was absolutely beautiful, set on-top of a hill overlooking the Appalachian mountains for miles on either side. There was a lake in the distance that we could see from the ceremony. It was incredibly peaceful, relaxed, and magical.
Juxtapose that with today, back from our trip, entering straight into a Southern California heat wave, back to my full time job, laundry that needs do-ing, and an apartment that hasn’t been cleaned in weeks. It’s a dire state of affairs at The Gourmet Gourmand household.
I just want to go to a cabin in the woods and stay there permanently, alone, with 1000 fantasy novels. (Maybe Erwin and Dave can come too sometimes..)Chocolate Cherry Muffins – thegourmetgourmand.com But because we’ve been so busy with travel lately, I’ve been trying to find recipes that are simple, quick, and easy for me to make and photograph. Conveniently, I’ve found, that this is what many of you blog readers are actually most interested in (who would have thought, right?). I have to confess that I tend to be a complicated recipe lover… favoring authenticity and amazing flavor over everything else. But sometimes, when life happens, we need recipes that are fast, easy, and also delicious.
These chocolate cherry muffins fit that bill.Chocolate Cherry Muffins – thegourmetgourmand.comI found this recipe over on the Williams Sonoma page and tweaked it a bit for my personal preference (i.e. I added chocolate chips, because, well, that just seemed necessary). The muffins found their way to my office for eating and received rave reviews, if that helps to convince anyone that these are necessary in your lives.
So enough babbling, and I’ll let the photos and this recipe speak for themselves.
Time to get back into the swing of things… wish me luck!!
