Roasted Strawberry, Olive Oil & Crumb-Topped Muffins

I’m officially hooked. Hooked on roasted strawberries that is! While strawberries are in season, the sweetest, plump, and most beautiful ever and you have a generous bounty, roasting strawberries is just the thing to do…

Roasted Strawberry, Olive Oil & Crumb Topped Muffins – Prep

With a toss in a small amount of sugar and a splash of vanilla extract, roasted strawberries have the most delicious aroma. The longer you roast them, the more berry juice you can expect. However, I don’t like mushy fruit, even in fruit pies. I need some texture and an ever so slight firmness to cooked fruit. It’s all preference as to texture so when roasting strawberries it will depend on the temperature and length of time you’re roasting and what your plans are for the red rubies.

Roasted Strawberries

For the strawberries used in these muffins, I started at 350°F for anywhere between 15-20 minutes. I had enough juices from the roasting to add some to the muffin batter and optionally use any leftover to brush on top of the baked muffins had I not also added crumb topping.

Roasted Strawberry, Olive Oil & Crumb Topped Muffins

Fresh baked good with the roasted strawberries just seem to flavor intensify even more by popping them into the oven to draw out their depth. For these muffins, I’ve added a crumb topping that includes some good old-fashioned oats and some finely chopped walnuts that not only adds a rustic nuttiness, but lends to texture as well (and give you a small amount of a healthy dose of walnuts for the day!).

There’s a cup of low-fat sour cream that I’ve mixed the strawberry juices into, a mere couple tablespoons of butter and some extra-virgin olive oil. Besides some of the good ingredients and the roasted strawberries, what I really loved about these muffins is that they are not greasy. Very minimal oily residue lingering on the bottoms of your paper muffin liners.

Roasted Strawberry, Olive Oil & Crumb Topped Muffins – Prep

The batter will have a thick consistency and even seem a bit dry, but don’t be alarmed. They bake up beautifully. Remember, they’re muffins…rustic textured muffins so they will seem a smidge dense.

I’m patiently waiting for our garden strawberries to start sharing some beautiful treats. This year we’ve planted Loran and Sequoia varieties in hopes of prolonging the season a bit longer with one being a June bearing and the other an ever-bearing.

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Roasted Strawberry, Olive Oil & Crumb-Topped Muffins

Yield: 12 Muffins

Roasting the strawberries draws out even more of the strawberry’s flavors. Warning: Roasting strawberries becomes addictive for future baked goodies!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. strawberries, rinsed, hulled
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumb Topping

• 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon white whole wheat flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Muffin Batter

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
•  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• lemon zest from 1 lemon (optional)

Method

roast strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Using a rimmed baking sheet, line with foil or parchment paper. 
2. Cut strawberries in half, larger berries quartered.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, place strawberries, sugar and vanilla and gently toss to coat with clean hands. Transfer and spread the berries out on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast, stirring once or twice, until the berries are tender and have released some of their juices, about 15-20 minutes (until they have softened, released their juices, but are still firm to touch, not mushy).  Allow to cool slightly and then gently remove berries and transfer to a large plate to lay flat while you prepare the batter.
4. Reserve a couple tablespoons of the strawberry juice, mix with the 1 cup of sour cream. 
5. Adjust oven temperature to 350°F.   Either line 12 muffin cups or spray with cooking spray.
make crumb topping
6. Combine oats, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and walnuts.  Add the melted butter and toss with a fork.  Set aside.
make and assemble the muffins
7. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl, stirring well with whisk.
8. Mix together the melted butter, sour cream, granulated sugar, olive oil, vanilla, egg, and lemon zest in a bowl.  Whisk to combine.  The batter will be thick, not runny.
9. Filling each muffin cup by only a third, divide batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups.  Using 3/4 of the roasted strawberries, place a strawberry piece or two on top of each muffin cup’s muffin batter. Evenly distribute the rest of the muffin batter on top of each muffin (you are layering the muffin: batter, roasted strawberries, batter, strawberries, topping). Evenly distribute the rest of the roasted strawberries into each muffin cup by very slightly pushing into the batter.   Sprinkle each with crumb topping.
10. Bake for about 20-28 minutes, rotating pan half-way through baking time. Check with a wooden skewer.   Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. © Images & content: Cristina A-Moore for TeenieCakes.com.

Teenie Notes

• Use firm, fresh strawberries.
• When roasting the strawberries, gauge to make sure its still firm when you pull from oven. You don’t want them too mushy. However, the longer you roast it, the more juice you will have (so its personal preference).
• The batter will be rather thick and stiff.

source Cristina A-Moore | Teenie Cakes

Roasted Strawberry, Olive Oil and Crumb Topped Muffins

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