Strawberry N' Creme Muffins - Just Like Eat N' Park! Copycat

Eat n' Park is a popular local restaurant chain in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. They are rightfully famous for their salad bar and scrumptious baked goods. These strawberry creme muffins are (almost!) like the ones served at their breakfast buffet. This recipe originally appeared in the Kitchen Mailbox column of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 21, 2007.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 18
• Yields: 18 muffins

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 lb unsalted butter
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar, plus more
•  sugar, for sprinkling
• 2  eggs
• 2  cups flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 18 -20  strawberries, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream butter and 1 1/4 cup sugar until fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time. Do not overmix.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture and cream alternately to the butter mixture. End with the flour mixture.
5. Stir in vanilla and then fold in strawberries.
6. Fill greased muffin tins (2 3/4 inches wide by 1 1/8 inches deep) 3/4 full.
7. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, or until tester dipped in center comes out clean.
9. Cool and serve!