Cherry-Glazed Chocolate Muffins

By á-4131

12 servings
5 points plus each

Ingredients

• 2 spray(s) cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cup(s) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup(s) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp table salt
• 3/4 cup(s) Neufchâtel cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cup(s) water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 1/2 cup(s) unsweetened frozen sour red cherries, pitted, left whole, or cherries jarred in water (about 12 cherries)
• 1 tsp salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup(s) powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup(s) unsweetened frozen sour red cherries, pitted, finely chopped or cherries jarred in water (about 3 cherries)
• 3 tsp water, warm, or more if necessary

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350ºF and coat a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray or muffin liners.

Sift together flour, cocoa, 1 cup of powdered sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream Neufchatel cheese, about 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 teaspoon of vanilla together in a large bowl until blended.

With mixer running on slow, add flour mixture in small batches, alternating with remaining 3/4 cup of warm water, until batter is thoroughly blended; add vinegar and mix well.

Fill each muffin hole with a tablespoon of batter (you’ll have about 1/2 the batter left). Place a whole cherry in center of each muffin hole and top with remaining batter so each hole is about 2/3 to 3/4 full.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool muffins for 5 minutes in tin and then remove muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

While muffins are cooling, make glaze: Combine butter, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, 3 chopped cherries and 3 teaspoons of warm water (add another teaspoon of water if glaze is too thick). Spread each cooled muffin with a thin layer of glaze. Yields 1 muffin per serving.