Happy Happy Birthday to Our Mother!!

We don't often make cupcakes or muffins, or sweet things at all, but these were sooo good we wanted to share today in celebration of our mother's birthday today. Happy Birthday from everyone at Cafe Drake HRV!! Now imagine a candle on top!

A rare baking foray at Cafe Drake HRV that ended with resounding success, these jam-filled muffins are a sure bet for even the most inexperienced of pastry chefs like ourselves. Think of them as a healthier alternative to a jelly doughnut. Nothing wrong with a jelly doughnut of course . . .

sketch by Maira Kalman, The New Yorker 2013

So let's get baking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease 12 standard size muffin cups. In a bowl mix together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 T. baking powder, 1/2 t. baking soda and 1/2 t. salt. In another bowl mix together 6 T. butter (melted!!), 2 large eggs, 1 t. vanilla extract, 1/2 t. almond extract and 1 & 1/4 cups sour cream until smooth.

We don't much care for the flavor of "light" sour cream but it works fine in baked good and Cabot makes an all-natural version without all those weird thickening agents.

Now mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just blended. It's OK if there are a few lumps, really. Spoon the batter into muffin cups filling only 1/3 full. Now add a heaping teaspoon of fruit jam or jelly or preserves to each muffin cup. Cover the jam by filling -  -  to the rim of the cups with remaining batter.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden and springy to the touch. Cool for 10 minutes before enjoying warm or cold.