To know me is to know that we don’t do junk food in my house. Any holiday involving candy, I scour the health food stores to get the kids candy with no artificial dye or extra added sugar. These muffins, while a healthy option otherwise, are our once a year “cheat” in the artificial department. This is because this recipe calls for …..wait for it….. maraschino cherries (gasp!). I know. Red 40 overload. One of these days, I will make time to try this recipe with fresh cherries, but until then, my children love them AS IS. Of course they do. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup oat milk
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Arbequina Olive Oil
• 1 jar maraschino cherries
• 3/4 cup enjoy life mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS

• 1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another smaller bowl, whisk the egg, milk and oil. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. 
• 2. Drain cherries reserving 2 tablespoons of the juice (if you can even call it that) for the glaze.
• 3. Chop the cherries and fold them, plus the chocolate chips, into the batter.
• 4. Drop by tablespoonfuls into paper-lined mini muffin tins. 

• 5. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-13 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
• 6. Cool for 10 minutes, then combine the powdered sugar and reserved cherry juice to make the glaze. Drizzle over the cooled muffins. 

The real issue is keeping them out of the muffins before Valentine’s Day. They are so cute and little, that it’s super easy to eat them all in one sitting. Let me know how you like them! And if you decide to try the recipe with fresh cherries, let me know that too!