Peach, Yogurt and Cardamom Muffins with Stewed Peaches

As someone who would always prefer winter to summer, I can’t say I’m enjoying this insanely hot summer all that much. However, the fact that juicy and ripe summer fruits are in abundance, makes it a bit more bearable.

This time, I’ve found some beautiful fragrant and juicy peaches at the store, and decided to use them to make some tasty muffins.

I started with stewing the peaches with a small amount of sugar, water and lemon juice, just until they softened, but still did not disintegrate. I’ve decided to use the stewed fruit in three ways: in the muffin batter, part of the topping, and for serving with the baked muffins.

To make the muffins batter light and tangy, I’ve used a mix of yogurt, oil and lemon juice, and then added cardamom powder and vanilla to it, to enhance the fruity fragrance of the peaches.

Once the muffin batter was divided between the baking cups, I’ve topped each with some of the stewed fruit, following with a crumble of buttery cookie dough, which added a crispy layer.

Serving these tasty and aromatic muffins with some more stewed peaches on the side, created a delightful light dessert, which was perfect for a summer brunch. Try them and enjoy.

 

Notes:

* I kept the peaches’ skin on, as it deepens their color while cooking. However, if you prefer, you can remove it easily, by plunging the fruit into boiling water for a minute, just as you would do with tomatoes. (For instructions on how to remove tomatoes skin, and other tips, click HERE.)

 

Makes: 2 ½ cups stewed peaches, 20 muffins

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes

 

Ingredients:

For the stewed peaches:

5 medium ripe peaches, washed

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Dash salt

For the topping:

3 Tbs flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ tsp cardamom powder

3 Tbs butter, cold, cut into small cubes

¾ cup stewed peaches (from above)

For the muffins:

1½ cups sugar

2 L eggs

½ cup oil

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Finely grated lemon zest from ½ lemon

¾ cup thick yogurt (I used Fage 5% fat)

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp cardamom powder

¾ cup stewed peaches (from above)

2 cups flour

1 Tbs baking powder

¼ tsp salt

 

1. The stewed peaches: stone and cut the peaches into medium wedges. Place in a wide pot, add the sugar, water, lemon juice and salt. Mix gently.
2. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, tilting the pot gently occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the fruit wedges soften but still keep their shape. Bring to room temperature. You should end up with about 2½ cups.
3. The cookie crumbs topping: in a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cardamom powder and butter, to a crumbly mixture. Place in the fridge until using.
4. The muffins: preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Place 20 paper baking cups in two muffin pans.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until fluffy. Add the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, yogurt, vanilla and cardamom powder, and whisk until smooth. Add the stewed peaches and whisk again briefly.
6. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk briefly to incorporate. Switch to spatula and mix again.
7. Divide the batter between the baking cups. Gently flatten the tops with the back of a spoon, and place 1-2 stewed wedges on top of each. Scatter the cookie crumbs over.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, until the muffins tops are golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature on a rack.
9. Serve with the remaining stewed peaches on the side.