Chocolate Chip Cherry Muffins

These are my husband's favorite muffins and hopefully they will be yours too!  They are drier than most muffins I make, resulting in some crumb when you bite into them.  I strongly suggest mixing fresh cherries into the batter if you want a moister product.  They make the muffins juicy and aromatic.  But dried cherries work just fine too.  I sometimes skip the topping to cut back on some of the sugar in this recipe.  If you choose to sprinkle these muffins with the sugar mixture, you'll be delighted by the crunchy, crispy texture of the muffin tops.  These are best served warm with a pat of butter.  The saltiness of the butter, the bitterness of the chocolate, the tartness of the cherries and the sweetness of the sugary topping all work together to create a harmonious muffin that everyone will remember and request time and time again.

Chocolate Chip Cherry Muffins

2 C flour

½ C sugar

3 t baking powder

½ t salt

¾ C chocolate chips

1 egg, beaten

¾ C milk

1/3 C oil

½ C chopped fresh or dried cherries

Topping:

3 T white sugar

2 T brown sugar

Grease 12 muffin cups.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips.  Add egg, milk and oil and stir just until moistened.  Fold in cherries.  Fill cups ¾ full.  In small bowl, combine sugars and sprinkle over muffins.  Bake 20-25 minutes.