Chocolate Cherry Mini Muffins

2 ounces (¼ cup) dried sweet dark (Bing) cherries or dried tart red cherries [56 g]
1 ¾ cups sifted flour [247 g]
2½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup sugar [100 g]
½ to 1 cup semisweet chocolate miniature morsels/pieces/chips [84 g - 168 g]

Place cherries in a clear plastic bag. Sift flour, baking and salt. Layer in quart jar in this order: flour mixture, chocolate chips and bag of cherries. Seal and decorated jar.


Attach to Jar: Chocolate Cherry Mini Muffins
1 Jar Chocolate Cherry Mini Muffins Mix
Orange juice, or water, or brandy, as needed (about 1/3 to ½ cup)
1 egg or 2 egg whites, at room temperature (see note)
Milk or reduced-fat or skim milk as needed
¼ cup butter or margarine, at room temperature [57 g]

Remove packet of cherries and empty into bowl. Add enough orange juice, water or brandy to just cover the cherries. Let stand about 1 hour or until cherries have plumped. Meanwhile, combine rest of jar ingredients with butter. Drain cherries and reserve liquid. Break egg (or egg whites) into 1-cup measure. Add to the egg the reserved cherry liquid and fill remaining volume with milk to make a whole cup. Add this mixture to flour/butter mixture until just blended. Don't over mix. Fold in cherries. Fill greased muffin pans (1 ¾-inches in diameter), or muffin pans lined with paper baking cups, or greased mini heart-shaped muffin pans two-thirds full. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (375°F) for 10 to 12 minutes or until done and lightly browned.