Cherry-Vanilla Ricotta Muffins

Unlike Lucy, I've yet to make my own ricotta cheese, but these muffins were delicious nonetheless. Once again I've consulted Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Café for inspiration. Her description of these muffins pretty much sums them up:

Imagine a muffin that took Italian cheesecake lessons. In all seriousness, that's what these taste like.

I paid a small fortune for fresh cherries, as the local variety are not yet in season, but it was worth every dime. Serve them up at any time of the day.

Cherry-Vanilla Ricotta Muffins

2 cups of unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1 cup of buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups of cherries (fresh or frozen, undefrosted), pitted and sliced, or 1 cup of dried cherries

Grease 12 standard sized muffin cups.

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the ricotta and buttermilk. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with a metal whisk after each addition. Then, beat in the lemon juice and vanilla.

Pour the ricotta mixture, along with the melted butter and the cherries, into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, stir from the bottom of the bowl until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Take care not to overmix.

Spoon the batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until lightly browned on the top and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. (If you are using frozen cherries, the baking time will be a little longer because the cherries contain more liquid). Let the muffins stand in the pan for 5 - 10 minutes, then transfer to a metal rack to cool. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.