Name: Plant-Based Cherry, Orange, and Rosemary Muffins
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 2⅔ cups (13⅓ ounces/378 grams) all-purpose flour; 1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; 1½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary; ¾ teaspoon table salt; 2 cups dried cherries; 1 cup plain plant-based yogurt or dairy yogurt; ⅔ cup plant-based milk or dairy milk; 7 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 tablespoon grated orange zest; 1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) aquafaba; ½ teaspoon cream of tartar; 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Why This Recipe Works

For this delicate, cakey muffin, we used a simple mixture of plant-based yogurt and plant-based milk to replace the usual dairy ingredients (although you can use dairy, if you like). Most of the common egg substitutes we tried gave us heavy, dense muffins, but aquafaba, the liquid found in canned chickpeas, acted as the perfect stand-in for eggs when whipped to stiff peaks and folded into the batter. While we love fresh fruit in our muffins, we also love dried fruit and wanted to incorporate that in this recipe. We first tried figs, but they absorbed too much moisture from the batter, resulting in dry muffins; plus, the crunch from the seeds was a little off-putting for some tasters. Dried cherries were the resounding winner. Lots of orange zest brightened up the muffins, while the subtle piney notes from the rosemary made them feel sophisticated.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly grease 12-cup muffin tin. Whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, rosemary, and salt together in large bowl. Add dried cherries and gently toss to combine. Whisk yogurt, milk, oil, and orange zest in second bowl until smooth; set aside.

Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip aquafaba and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff foam that clings to whisk forms, 3 to 9 minutes. Using rubber spatula, fold yogurt mixture into flour mixture until no dry flour remains; do not overmix (batter will be thick). Stir one-third of whipped aquafaba into batter to lighten, then add remaining aquafaba and gently fold batter with rubber spatula until no white streaks remain.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over top. Bake until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let muffins cool in muffin tin for 20 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.