White chocolate raspberry muffins

We are not morning people.  We are not the kind of people who pop out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off (who are those people and how do they do it???).  We are more the "hit snooze on multiple alarms until the last possible minute to possibly get up and out the door, or when our kid is making too much noise, whichever comes first" type.  Luckily, Luke is a really good sleeper.; rarely waking up before 7am.  Our mornings are smoother than when we were both working and had to get out the door early but now we have a baby to contend with as well.  Kids seem to be at their cutest first thing in the morning though which makes mornings pretty happy, once we've gotten over the having to get up part.

Regardless of our best intentions, or because of a cute little distraction, there are many mornings when Matt is rushing out the door without time to eat breakfast.   That's where these muffins come in handy.  This is the second time I've posted a recipe without actually trying it myself (first was these pickles) but my two other resident taste testers swear by them.  Matt's a fan of the white chocolate/raspberry combo (give me dark chocolate any day) and these are a nice treat to rotate in with his cereal or toaster waffles (one of those things I've just accepted I'm not going to make from scratch).

They mix up easily and freeze great, like most baked goods.  We stick them in the microwave for 30-40 seconds to warm them up straight from the freezer.  Luke loves "helping" stir anything that doesn't require the mixer so he's always very excited to make a new batch.  These are now a freezer staple.

White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins
yield: about 18 muffins

Ingredients:
1 egg
3TB butter, melted
1 cup milk (I use skim)
1/2 tsp lemon zest (optional)
2 cups flour
1/4 c sugar
1TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
sparking sugar or granulated sugar for topping (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.  Put liners in muffin cups or coat with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, butter, milk, and lemon zest (if using).  In a separate bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. 
3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Stir just until combined.  Gently stir in the white chocolate chips and raspberries. 
4. Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling not quite to the top.  Sprinkle with sparkling or granulated sugar, if using.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.  They are done when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Cool briefly in the pans before transferring to a wire rack.

 

Source: Aldi Test Kitchen