Who wouldn’t want to wake up to the smell of fresh peach muffins for breakfast? Peaches are the star of these bright, fruit-studded morsels. There’s just enough sugar to complement their sweetness, not overpower it. Sliced almonds add just the right amount of crunch and delicate flavor. This recipe relies on handy canned peaches, so you can enjoy these muffins even when the peaches are not in season!
Nothing speaks of summery sunshine and warmth like fresh, ripe fruit. While the growing season is a wonderful, busy time, it doesn’t last forever–especially here in Alaska! Canned fruit allows me to enjoy the flavors of summer even when the weather is rather less than warm.
I enjoy preserving the berries and fruits that grow here, but I’m also thankful for grocery stores that supply me with canned peaches and other fruits which shun this cold climate! Canned fruit is certainly not the same as fresh, and it can’t always be substituted with the same results. For example, canned peaches can’t match fresh ones for their heavenly aroma!
But canned fruit definitely has its place in the world of cookery. It works particularly well when baked into breads or desserts. These almond peach muffins are one of my favorite ways to use canned peaches. I hope you enjoy them, too!
Method
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, and almond extract. You may use any lightly-flavored oil: avocado, sunflower, canola, or regular vegetable oil. Even extra virgin olive oil will work.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Once the dry ingredients are well mixed, add them to the egg mixture and stir gently until just combined. Fold in the chopped peaches and sliced almonds.
Spoon the batter into the buttered muffin tin. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Now, the size of muffin tins varies somewhat, so you may need a second tin. This recipe should make between 12-16 muffins, depending on the size of your tins and how full you fill them.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the centers are set and the edges are golden. These muffins should dome nicely, if you don’t stir the batter too much or open the oven door while they are baking.
Cool the muffins in the tin for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack. You may cool them completely on the rack, or serve warm.
Notes and Variations
I use canned peach halves or sliced peaches in this recipe for their availability and convenience. It doesn’t matter whether they are canned in juice or syrup, but do make sure you drain them first! I live in a place far from peach orchards, and it’s difficult to find good peaches even during the summer. However, if you do have access to good fresh peaches, and you are making these muffins when peaches are in season, by all means use fresh fruit! Frozen peaches will also work. If you decide to use fresh or frozen fruit, you will need one cup of chopped peaches.
If you do not want crunchy muffins, but still want the almond flavor, you may substitute 1/4 cup of ground or finely chopped almonds for the sliced almonds. Or leave them out altogether, if you prefer.
These muffins are slightly sweet, but nowhere near cupcake sweetness. If you prefer a sweeter muffin, sprinkle some additional sugar over the muffins just before baking. I like to use raw sugar, which is sometimes called turbinado sugar or evaporated cane juice. It has larger crystals, which look pretty on the muffins!
Even better, mix equal parts finely chopped almonds with raw sugar and sprinkle the mixture over the unbaked muffins. (You will need about one tablespoon of each.) This adds the perfect touch for tea parties!
For more tea party recipes, see Lemon Thyme Tea Cookies and Sweetheart Cranberry Almond Scones.
Happy baking!
~ Kimberly
Almond Peach Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour unbleached
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 15 oz. canned peaches drained and chopped
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, oil, eggs, and almond extract.
- Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until just combined.
- Fold in chopped peaches and almonds. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin.
- Bake muffins at 400 degrees F for 18-20 minutes, or until centers are set and edges are golden.
- Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely, or serve warm.
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