Freshly picked during the summer harvest, vibrant yellow-orange stone fruit yield tangy yet sweet contrast to baked goods. Peaches combined with brown sugar create a moist muffin with a delicate crumb, enhanced with the pearl sugar and chopped almonds in the crunchy streusel topping.

Ingredients

For the Almond & Pearl Sugar Streusel:

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup pearl sugar

¼ cup raw chopped almonds

For the Peach Muffins:

2½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1½ teaspoons vanilla sugar

2½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 farm-fresh eggs

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup browned butter

½ teaspoon pure almond extract

2 cups diced fresh peaches plus 12 thin slices reserved for the tops of the muffins

Method

To Prepare the Almond & Pearl Sugar Streusel:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with regular or tulip-style, greaseproof paper cup liners with a 50mm base (approximately 2 inches). Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, pearl sugar, and chopped almonds using a fork. Set aside.

To Prepare the Peach Muffins:

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk, browned butter, and almond extract. Make a well in the center of sifted dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl and pour the egg mixture into the depression. Gently, by hand, fold the wet ingredients into the flour mixture just until they incorporate the dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Add the diced fresh peaches and fold gently to distribute them into the batter.

Scoop ⅓ cup of the peach muffin batter into each prepared paper cup liner in the 12-cup muffin tin. Evenly distribute the prepared streusel topping over the top of the 12 muffins. Finish each muffin crown with one slice of the reserved peach slices.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a tester inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack. Enjoy while warm and the crumb is at its most tender. Makes 12 standard muffins.