It’s Memorial Day Weekend, which we almost forgot since all days are the same now. The unofficial kickoff of summer weather, outdoor activities, and a fruit selection consisting of more than just apples. Hurrah! Of course we won’t be going to the beach to celebrate this year, or any family barbeques, but I’m sure we’ll find another (more distant) way to catch some sunshine and enjoy some good food. I love summer berries, and would be perfectly happy to eat them every day, but I do get frustrated at their shelf life. My obvious solution: bake them into something!

I first tasted this combination when I made the raspberry ricotta scones from the original Smitten Kitchen cookbook. I had previously always found scones rather dry and unappealing, but I love baking with ricotta so I decided to try them…and they were delicious! Now scones aren’t really my specialty, but if you don’t know already, I do love a good muffin. (Meghan makes muffins? I also like alliteration). Ricotta doesn’t have enough moisture to use on its own for muffins (I tried, and it was not good), but paired with a little whole milk it does everything you want it to do, making the muffins light and fluffy, with just a little richness. I wanted to embrace the sweet-tart elements of the raspberries, so I added lemon zest to the batter, and countered that with a coarse sugared lid. Resident taste-tester/husband David declared “Wow! That’s a really good muffin.”

Raspberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Recipe by Too Many SpoonsCourse: BreakfastCuisine: Muffins

Servings

muffins

cost

Total time

minutes

To crush the raspberries, place them in a shallow bowl, and give them a quick pass through with a potato masher or large fork. It’s tempting to overdo it here, but try to keep it to 3 “mashes” or less. You’re just looking to break them up a little, not destroy them.

Ingredients

1 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup ricotta
1 tsp lemon zest
1 cup raspberries, lightly crushed
1 1/2 Tbsp turbinado sugar/raw sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375, and spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk the butter, egg, milk, ricotta, and lemon zest.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir together gently with a spoon until just barely combined. Don’t worry if it looks a little dry. The raspberries will add some moisture.
Very carefully, fold the raspberries into the muffin batter.
Divide the batter between 9 muffin molds, filling almost all the way to the top. Sprinkle each muffin with about 1/2 tsp raw sugar.
Slide the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. (My magic number is usually 28. You’re looking for puffy, lightly golden tops, with just a little give when you tap them with your fingertip). Let the muffins rest for 15 minutes or so in the muffin tin before transferring to a rack or plate to cool completely.