I've Got a New Recipe for Peach Pie Muffins

I couldn't decide if I felt like having peach pie or peach muffins. So I created peach pie muffins. You should too.



Each pecan crumb-topped muffin gives way to a moist, cakey inside that is studded with bits of fresh, juicy, sweet peaches. Oh, and did I mention there's no crust to roll out? Yeah, baby.

Peach Pie Muffins
Makes 12 regular size muffins.
Print recipe only here.

Pecan Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Muffins:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup light brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh diced peaches with skins

1. Place rack in center of oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12 mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. To make the crumb topping, in a small bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and pecans, and toss until well combined. Pour melted butter evenly over mixture, and using your fingers, quickly toss and pinch the mixture until little pebbly pieces form. Refrigerate while making the muffins.

3. Combine flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl, and stir well.

4. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, honey, sugar, butter, eggs, ginger, and vanilla, and whisk well. Add to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in peaches.

5. Spoon the batter evenly into the into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle pecan crumb topping evenly over the muffin tops. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.

Here are more sweet summer baked goods you might like:

My Mom's Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins





Peach and Blueberry Galette





Fresh Cherry and Peach Upside-Down Cake

Mom's After-School Snacks

When I was a kid, the best part of school was when it ended. That's because I knew when I got home my mom would have an after-school snack waiting for me.

The only thing that got me though a day of learning fractions was knowing there was freshly baked banana bread, oatmeal cookies, or chocolate pudding with bananas and graham crackers waiting for me.

Mom's after-school snacks are the inspiration for today's Crunchy Peanut Butter, Banana, and Chocolate Chunk Muffins.

So the next time your child has a test on fractions, surprise her or him with a chocolaty peanut butter muffin and a glass of cold milk. They may just be eternally grateful.

What after-school snacks did your Mom make for you?

Crunchy Peanut Butter, Banana, and Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Makes 12 regular size muffins
Print recipe only here.

Note: These muffins are meant to be a special treat, not an everyday food. However, if you'd like to reduce the calories and pump up the nutrition, you could replace half of the flour with whole wheat flour, whole milk with low-fat or skim, butter with Smart Balance butter substitute, and 1 egg with 2 egg whites.


Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup milk (whole or low-fat)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 small bananas (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (I used 65% cacao)**

Topping:
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dark chocolate


Place rack in center of oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12 mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray.

Combine flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir well.

In a separate bowl, combine milk, butter, and eggs and lightly beat with an electric mixer. Add the bananas and peanut butter and lightly beat (it's okay if it's a little bumpy). Add to the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid over mixing the batter as it will become leaden. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chunks.

Spoon the batter evenly into the into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with some chopped peanuts and chocolate. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.

**You could substitute semi-sweet baking chocolate for the dark chocolate if you prefer.

You might also like:

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons




Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and Chocolate Chunk Cookies




Doughboys




Banana Coconut Almond Bread





I'm not the only one who loves any and all combinations of chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas. Check these recipes out:

• Chris's Peanut Butter Muffins
  
• Deborah's Banana Crunch Muffins
• Farida's Chocolate Banana Bread
• A Forkful of Spaghetti's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Muffins
  
• Happy Home Baking's Banana and Chocolate Muffins
  
• Margot's Banana Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce
• Nora's Banana Choc Bread

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Healthy Muffins That Taste Good. Really.

The problem with "healthy" muffins is that they're usually bland, rubbery, or dry. I wanted to make a healthy muffin that actually tasted great. One you would want to eat. Turns out, that isn't so easy.

Healthy Muffins Take 1:

I hand Jeff a muffin to taste.

Me: "So what do you think?"

Jeff: Chewing, with a furrowed brow. "Well, they're a little bland. How much sugar did you put?"

Me: "Oh, no! I forgot to add the sugar!"

Healthy Muffins Take 2:

I hand Jeff a muffin to taste.

Me: "Are these better? I didn't forget the sugar this time."

Jeff: Chewing a lot and very, very slowly. "Well, they taste like they're good for you."

Healthy Muffins Take 3:

I hand Jeff a muffin to taste.

Me: With fingers crossed. "Well?"

Jeff: "These are healthy? Wow! They don't taste like it."

Me: "Yes!"

The third time really is the charmer.



After much experimentation, these "healthy" muffins really are winners. They get their nutritional kick from a few sources: whole wheat flour has extra calcium and protein; flax seeds are high in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Egg whites lower the cholesterol in the recipe without lowering the protein; and low-fat buttermilk and Smart Balance reduce fat and cholesterol while helping maintain moistness. Raisins, walnuts, and sunflower seeds provide fiber, omega-3's, calcium, and protein.

Just to be sure it wasn't me, I sent a batch to Jeff's office. The plate came back empty, except for a thank you note with a smiley face. See, they really do taste good.



Healthy Muffins
Makes 12 regular size muffins.
Print recipe only here.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons flax seed (or flaxseed meal)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup light brown sugar
4 tablespoons smart balance butter substitute, melted
1 large egg and 2 egg whites
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, divided

Place rack in center of oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12 mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray.

Combine flours, flax seeds, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl, and stir well.

In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, honey, sugar, smart balance, and eggs, and whisk well. Add to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in raisins, walnuts, and half of the sunflower seeds.

Spoon the batter evenly into the into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining sunflower seeds on top of muffins. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.

Note: I tried variations with less sugar and found them to be too bland. However, if you'd like to reduce the sugar in these, feel free. They're still packed with lots of good-for-you ingredients.

You might also like these low-fat breakfast dishes:

Fresh Apricot Muffins





Ginger-y Cranberry Walnut Scones (Heart Healthy & Low Fat!)





Pancakes with Fresh Raspberry-Strawberry Sauce




I'm sending lovely Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen some muffins since she has chose whole grains for this month's Weekend Breakfast Blogging created by Nandita of Saffron Trail.

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It's Apricot Season, So That Means Fresh Apricot Muffins

Do you know what happens when you buy a quart size container of fresh apricots? You get about 14 apricots that ripen at the same time (and about two that don't). As much as I love fresh apricots, eating 14 of them within a day or two isn't practical or appealing. Apricot muffins, however, are enormously appealing.

Apricot season runs from May-August, so now is the time to buy them. Unlike hardier peaches or nectarines, apricots are finicky. They like mild temperatures and dislike intense heat, which is why they grow so well in California. When selecting fresh apricots look for somewhat firm (not hard) fruit that is brightly colored (they range from light yellow to a deeper orange-yellow). The skin should be velvety smooth without wrinkles or blemishes, and they should yield slightly when squeezed. If you're still in doubt, then take a good whiff -- a ripe apricot emits a sweet fragrance. After all, it is a member of the rose family.



Apricots should be stored on the counter top until ripe then refrigerated if not eaten with a day or two. For the fullest flavor, it's best to allow the fruit to come to room temperature before eating.

A fresh, ripe apricot is sublime--its creamy, perfumed flesh is subtly sweet with hints of tartness. Since I don't have the heart to toss apricots that are slightly bruised or mushy, I decided to bake with them. I had success with some fresh strawberry muffins, so I thought I'd try another fresh fruit muffin recipe.

These low-fat fresh apricot muffins are moist and cake-y with little juicy bits of apricot and crunchy nuts in each bite. Of course, with redolent cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh ginger, you'll be enticed by them long before you even take a bite.



Fresh Apricot Muffins (low-fat)
Makes 12 regular size muffins.
Print recipe only here.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup light brown sugar
5 tablespoons smart balance butter substitute, melted
1 large egg and 2 egg whites
2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup fresh diced apricots
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 apricot, thinly sliced for the tops of the muffins

Place rack in center of oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12 mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray.

Combine flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl, and stir well.

In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, honey, sugar, smart balance, eggs, ginger, and vanilla, and whisk well. Add to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in apricots and almonds.

Spoon the batter evenly into the into 12 muffin cups. Add an apricot slice to the top of each muffin. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.

Here are more deliciously sweet recipes featuring fresh apricots:
Anna's Apricot Jam
Clotilde's Apricot Coffee Cake
Elise's Rustic Apricot Tart

You might also like these baked goods:

Banana Coconut Almond Bread





Fresh Strawberry, Almond, and Coconut Muffins





Honeyed Orange Ginger Muffins (Quat, Optional)





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Muffin Tops: Flat or Pointy?

What makes a muffin top pointy?

Until this year, every batch of muffins I ever made was a flat-topped failure. I consulted cookbooks, called my mom (whose muffins are always perfect) and tried every conceivable combination of baking powder, baking soda, oil, butter, and eggs. I used dark muffins tins, light muffin tins, different oven temperatures, electric mixing, hand mixing -- still flat. My final attempt wasn't pretty -- twenty-four unevenly cooked, pancake-flat muffins (from 2 different attempts) along with my muffins tins, ended up in the trash, as I declared, "That's it! I'm never making muffins again!"

All this changed when I made my honeyed orange ginger muffins this year. After about 7 minutes, I turned on the oven light and peeked inside. I was shocked. They were rising. I started jumping up and down and exclaiming, "Jeff, my muffins are rising! They're actually rising!"

"Don't jump up and down!" he said. "Don't do anything to jinx it this time." He had a point.

We actually stood at the oven watching those muffins rise as gloriously as angels. After years of abject muffin failure, it was a beautiful moment.

Each plump muffin had a small hill top. I couldn't have been more pleased. Since then I have made several batches, all successful. So what's my secret? Darned if I know. But here are a few suggestions:

• Use both baking powder and baking soda which are leavening agents.
• Stir with a spatula, not an electric hand mixer, for a lighter batter.
• Use light colored bake ware rather than dark to keep the muffin bottoms from burning.
  
• Fill the muffin cups 3/4's of the way to the top.
  
• Place the muffins in the center of the oven at 350-375 degrees F. Many muffin recipes call for a hotter oven (400-425 F), but I have found they usually burn on the outside and remain undercooked on the inside.
• Talk sweetly to the muffins as they're baking. Don't underestimate the power of kindness.
• If all else fails, buy a GE Monogram oven. I have made muffins in 7 different ovens, and persistence pays off.

Made with creamy coconut milk, these muffins are moist and cakey with tiny pieces of fresh, juicy strawberries baked inside. Each delicious bite is laced with tangy honey and aromatic toasted coconut and almonds. In fact, your entire kitchen will be redolent with the fragrance of rich almond and sweet strawberries. That's why I'm contacting Yankee Candle to suggest it as a new fragrance-- Food Blogga: Strawberry Almond Delight Candle. Whadda ya think?

I'm sending my muffins to Michele of Greedy Gourmet who is hosting the third round of Snack Shots. This time she wants muffins, any and all muffins. But hurry! Tuesday is the deadline.

Fresh Strawberry, Almond, and Coconut Muffins
Makes 12 regular size muffins
Print recipe only here.

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup lite coconut milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons orange blossom honey
2 teaspoons pure almond extract**
1/4 cup toasted sweetened shredded coconut
2/3 cup diced fresh strawberries**

Topping:
2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12 mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray.

Wash strawberries, remove the hull, and pat dry. Dice and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut milk, melted butter, and egg. Add the orange zest, honey, and almond extract, and whisk until just combined. Add to the flour mixture, and stir quickly until well combined. Fold in the strawberries and toasted coconut. Spoon the batter evenly into the 12 molds.

For the topping, mix 2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut and 2 tablespoons sliced almonds in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of muffins.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.

**Note: Pure almond extract is deliciously, intensely flavorful. If you want a mild almond flavor, then I'd suggest 1-1 1/2 teaspoons; if, like me, you want a bold almond flavor, then I'd add 2 or even 3 teaspoons. You decide.

Strawberries are often considered "too watery" to use in baked goods such as muffins and breakfast breads. Here are some tips for baking successfully with fresh strawberries:

• Use only really fresh berries that are firm, not mushy.
  
• Don't add too many strawberries to the batter which could make it too wet.
  
• Avoid using frozen strawberries, which would be too watery.

You might also like:

Honeyed Orange Ginger Muffins (Quat, Optional)





Ricotta Hotcakes with Peaches





Banana Coconut Almond Bread





Strawberry-Rhubarb Sponge Pudding





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Honeyed Orange Ginger Muffins (Quat, Optional)

Orangequats

It's February, cold, snowy, blustery February. The time when children and adults don their cozy mittens and puffy jackets to go sledding or ice skating or -- best of all -- build snowmen. That is if you live somewhere where there's weather. You know like "cold," "snow," "storm" and, the granddaddy of them all, "blizzard."

Since I'm in San Diego, I won't be building snowmen anytime soon (it was in the '70s earlier this week). So I've been occupying myself with a different winter pastime -- experimenting in the kitchen with the "quats."

After my success with Coconut Lemonquat Cake, I was inspired to keep baking.

So I wrote my next Kitchen Window article for NPR on kumquats, where I have recipes for:

• Watercress and Endive Salad with Kumquats
• Kumquat and Dried Cherry Chutney
• Tilapia with Kumquat Citrus Butter
• Coconut Kumquat Tea Cake
  

Now it's time for muffins. I actually made three different versions of this recipe, until this past Saturday, when the stars and elements aligned, creating the perfect muffin. Yes, that's a bold statement to make, but after you taste one, you may agree.

Orangequats (also called mandarinquats) are a citrus hybrid of kumquats and oranges. Don’t let their diminutive size fool you. These remarkably juicy fruits have a big, bold orange flavor that is twinged with tartness. Like kumquats, the entire fruit is edible, including the thin rind. Just watch out for a couple of tiny seeds inside that need to be removed (or spit out, when no one's looking).

Orangequats are wonderful for savory salsas on top of pork and seafood or sliced atop a salad of bitter greens such as frisee. For sweet dishes, try them sprinkled on top of a bowl of vanilla ice cream, sliced and dipped in chocolate, or baked into cakes and muffins.

These sprightly yellow muffins taste and look like sunshine has been baked right into them. When you bite into one, you'll taste hints of honey, ginger, and vanilla and find them chock full of plump, sweet golden raisins and flecks of brightly colored orangequats. So I'm sending them to Lia of Swirling Notions, this week's gracious host of the wonderful Weekend Herb Blogging, created by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

Don't despair if you can't find orangequats. These muffins are wonderful with navel oranges as well. I know, I've made and eaten both.

Honeyed Orange Ginger Muffins (Quat, Optional)
Makes 12 muffins.
Print recipe only here.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup freshly squeezed navel orange juice (about 2 oranges)
1/4 cup finely minced navel orange pulp (OR, if using orangequats, 3-4 de-seeded fruits, rinds included, minced until pulpy, about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon navel orange zest (about 1 orange)
2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup coarsely chopped golden raisins

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12 mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray.

If using orangequats, then de-seed them by slicing the fruits into rounds with a sharp pairing knife. Using the tip of the knife, gently pluck out the seeds.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, egg, and juice. Add the orange pulp, orange zest, ginger, honey, and vanilla, and whisk until just combined. Add to the flour mixture and stir quickly until well combined. Fold in the raisins. Spoon the batter evenly into the 12 molds.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.

You might also like:
Date, Fennel, and Pistachio Scones
Persimmon and Date Bread
Banana Coconut Almond Bread
Warm Banana and Citrus Cups

Other orange-y desserts I've admired:
Orange Poppy Seed Cake with Candied Kumquats from Swirling Notions
Orange, Chocolate, and Ricotta Cake from Lucullian Delights
Orange Creme Caramel from Trial and Error


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