Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter. Drain the sour cherries and dry them on paper towels.
  2. Make the Coconut Streusel by stirring together the flour and brown sugar in a small bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in or rub in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the coconut. Set aside.
  3. Make the muffins by stirring together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in another bowl.
  4. In still another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs and half-and-half. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg mixture. Beat until thick and creamy. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.
  5. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling 1/3 full. Drop in a few cherries and add batter just to cover and then drop in a few more cherries. Spoon on more batter until the cups are filled level with the rims. Sprinkle each with 1 heaping tablespoon of the Coconut Streusel.
  6. Bake until golden, dry, and springy to the touch, 20-25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn out the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature.