Cherries have dripped from their trees in a wonderful year of harvest.  Bings, Rainiers and sour varieties have filled our baskets and pails, processed and preserved in many ways.  Here’s a final method for the last of them with sweet, dried Bing cherries for snacking and baking.  Dehydrating cherries saves their sweetness and intense flavor and is a fairly quick process.  Successful processing has included halving, pitting and placing skin down on the rack, dehydrating according to timing and temperature of your device.

Dried cherries and chocolate combine with heart healthy oats making these nutritious muffins taste like a treat.  For breakfast or snacking, this is a simple, speedy recipe.  Easy to double up, we often make a large batch of oat base muffins and freeze for breakfasts to come.  They taste great pulled out of the freezer and thawed at room temperature overnight in a sealed container.  Or a 30 second reheat in the microwave makes moisture return for a bit more enjoyment.

We’ve made different variations of oat muffins, combining leftover chunky cranberry sauce and white chocolate chips ~ awesomeness ~ or sugared chunks of rhubarb.  These are winners worth testing as well.

~Cherry Chocolate Oat Muffins~

3/4 c oats

1 1/3 c flour

1/3 c sugar

1/4 t salt

2 t baking powder

1 egg

1 c milk

1/4 c vegetable oil

1 c semi sweet chocolate chips

1 c dried cherries, coarsely chopped

granulated sugar for topping

Yield: 12 muffins

~Preheat oven to 400 degrees F; grease or line 12 muffin cups.

~Combine all dry ingredients, make a well in center and set aside.

~Combine egg, milk and oil in a separate bowl and mix well; add to dry ingredients and stir to combine.

~Fold in chocolate and cherries.

~Fill muffin cups to 3/4 full and bake for approximately 18-20 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

~Remove from muffin tin and cool on a wire rack; eat fresh or store sealed at room temperature or freeze.

Love from our kitchen to yours, Georgina @ Soul & Stomach