Saffron-Kissed Strawberry Muffins

Sending these off to Sourashtra’s Kitchen for her latest collection of desserts and pastries, co-hosted by Sudeshna.

Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients
Makes about 12 medium muffins

1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon saffron, dissolved in 2 tbsp warm milk
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Toss together strawberries and 1/3 cup sugar. Using a potato masher, lightly mash the berries; set aside.

Dissolve the saffron strands in the warm milk so that it becomes evenly yellow; set aside to mix later.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a glass 2-quart measuring cup or a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla; whisk to combine. Finally add the saffron dissolved in milk, and mix together to let it bleed and get an orange-ish hue.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk mixture and the berry mixture (with juice). Fold just until combined. Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter among the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with remaining sugar.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy these delicious Strawberry Muffins as a guilt-free treat any time of the day!