FRUIT BUTTERMILK MUFFINS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. If using regular muffin tins, about 24. If using jumbo muffin tins, about 7. * Hint: the pretty papers are cute, but I found with muffins, regular old white paper liners work best. The pretty ones tend to stick to the muffins.
• 2. In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Mix this very well by hand. At least 20 seconds, more is better. You want this to be mixed very well.
• 3. In another bowl, mix oil,brown sugar, cinnamon,lemon zest and egg. Mix well. Once this is combined, mix in the butter milk and vanilla.
• 4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, folding ever so gentle and only until just combined. DO NOT OVER MIX! Small lumps are ok. Over mixing is the biggest downfall to muffins. When gently combined, fold in the fruit very carefully. The batter will be fairly stiff.
• 5. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins filling to the top of the papers.
• 6. Sprinkle generously with sugar in the raw all over the unbaked tops of each muffin.
• 7. For regular sized muffins: Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. When time is up, reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking an additional 12 minutes. * Note: if using jumbo muffin tins, bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, and then down to 350 degrees for an additional 20-25 minutes. Check with toothpick inserted in middle of muffin. It should come out clean.
• 8. Let muffins cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove them from pan and continue cooling on racks.
• 9. These muffins freeze well.
• 10. Any fruit can be used. You can play around with the brown sugar. I made a batch with 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 regular sugar with great results. You can add a streusel topping before baking. This is by far the best muffin recipe I have ever used.