Strawberry Muffins: The Sweet Aroma That Brightens My Morning

One quiet morning, I grabbed a few leftover strawberries from the fridge, chopped them into small pieces, and decided to bake some muffins—without much expectation. But as the scent of warm batter mixed with the sweet-tart aroma of fruit began to fill the kitchen, I realized something simple yet beautiful: that morning suddenly felt brighter.

Each muffin is packed with real strawberry pieces, offering a perfect balance of sweetness, tanginess, and juiciness in every bite. On top, I sprinkle thin slices of almonds that toast into a gentle crunch—soft cake meets crisp nut in the most delightful way, as if they were meant to be together.

I love enjoying one with a warm cup of tea on a slow morning, or packing a few to share with friends at work. It’s not a fancy dessert, but it’s full of that cozy, homemade feeling—comforting, familiar, and quietly joyful.

Sometimes happiness doesn’t need to be extravagant. Just the scent from the oven and a small strawberry muffin can make everything feel right.

Ingredients..

• 2/3 cup Milk
• 2 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
• 1 ¾ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
• 1 ½ tsp Salt
• 1 large Egg
• ¾ cup + 2 tsp Sugar
• ½ cup Sliced Almond
• 6 tbsp (¾ stick) Butter (melted)
• 1 ¼ cups Strawberry (diced) (about 1 cup diced + extra for topping)
• 1 tbsp Freeze-dried Strawberry (crumbled) (crushed)
• 2 tsp Icing Sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 410°f (210°C). This recipe would work best with 8 – 12 muffin holes.

2. Add lemon zest into milk. Add lemon juice and stir until combined.

3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Separate egg white and egg yolk. Beat a tablespoon of egg white with 2 teaspoons of sugar until frothy, add sliced almond and fold until combined. (Mix the remaining egg white with egg yolk).

5. Beat butter and sugar until combined. Add the remaining egg yolk and egg white in then mix well.

6. Divide flour into 3 portions and milk into 2 portions. Mix first flour portion into the egg mixture until combined then add first milk portion until combined as well. Repeat the steps with the remaining ingredients.

7. Fold roughly chopped strawberry into the batter and portion into muffin cups. (100 g of batter per portion for 8- counts muffin tin and 65 g of batter per portion for 12 counts muffin tin).

8. Top muffin with almond meringue. Bake for 12 minutes at 410°f (210°C) then reduce temperature to 330°C (170°C) and bake for another 8 minutes.

9. Blend freeze dried strawberry and icing sugar into powder and dust over muffin before serve.

These muffins are best enjoyed slightly warm, with a cup of tea or coffee.

The combination of soft crumb, juicy strawberries, and crispy almond topping makes every bite feel like a gentle hug.

You can keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 days — but honestly, they rarely last that long in my kitchen. 🍓💕