Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins

Method

1. Sugar mixture

   Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a muffin pan. Combine 1/4 cup sugar with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; liberally sprinkle muffin tins with sugar mixture. Save remaining mixture for topping muffins.

2. Batter

   Sift 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg together in a large bowl. Add butter to flour mixture and cut in with a pastry blender or two knives. (You can also use an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed.) Stop mixing when butter pieces are pea-sized and smaller. Whisk buttermilk, eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture stirring just until combined. The batter will be lumpy. Chop strawberries in chunks the size of blueberries or raspberries. Small berries can be quartered. Measure out 1-1/2 cups of the chopped strawberries and save any leftover berries for another use, such as a smoothie or yogurt topping. Toss 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries with remaining 1/4 cup flour and gently fold into batter. Fill muffin tins to the top and sprinkle with a generous amount of remaining sugar mixture. Bake15 minutes and rotate pan.

3. Baking

   Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer and or until muffins spring back when lightly pressed in the centre and/or a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean. Jumbo muffins will take approximately 5 minutes longer.