Pumpkin Cherry Bakery-Style Muffins

These are based on Cook's Illustrated Best blueberry muffins, but ended up having the butter content of their Light muffins. I've been craving pumpkin, so I substituted some of the butter and yogurt for pumpkin puree and modified the spices. They rose nicely and had that fabulous tender interior and firm exterior that you expect from "Bakery Style" muffins. Plus, the cherries plumped up and were a huge flavor burst. (I don't know if the plumpness came from being in the fridge over-night, though). But to avoid any worries about it, you could easily use chocolate chips instead. ;-)

Pumpkin Cherry Bakery-Style Muffins

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice

4 tbsp unsalted butter, soft
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain low fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup dried cherries (or chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl.
Cream together butter, pumpkin and sugar in a large bowl, adding eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternate yogurt and flour into butter mixture, ending with the flour and working in 2 or three additions. Stir in cherries (or chocolate chips).

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling them slightly higher than the top and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and a tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 large muffins.