Sally’s Challenge for August 2026 is Homemade Graham Crackers.
July’s Sally Baking Challenge is complete.
Peach season is here and I saw a Peach Cobbler and I baked my version of it this morning. It was well worth the minimal effort. The QC Cadre thought it was to die for. I wouldn’t go that far but close. My only complaint is it was too small. I upscaled it today so next time…
Can you image Chocolate Pan de Cristal? It’s real, still on my list and while I can’t wait, I must.
I volunteered to make something to sell at a charity bake sale and as luck would have it King Arthur Baking send me an email with this recipe, Apple Cider Doughnut Holes.
I made them pretty much as the recipe specified and decided next time I would omit the cardamom. Maybe there was too much, but it overpowered the sugar/cinnamon coating. Live and learn. (They were pretty darn good anyway.)
I reduced a half gallon of apple cider to make the boiled cider and mixed my own apple pie spice using the ratio of 4::2::1 cinnamon::nutmeg::allspice.
INGREDIENTS • 360g (1 ½ c) milk • 2 large eggs • 120g ( ½ c) pure maple syrup • 120g ( ½ c) unsweetened applesauce • 255g (3 c) old-fashioned whole rolled oats • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract • ¼ teaspoon salt • 120g (1 heaping c) peeled chopped apple • Coarse sugar for topping
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray. If using muffin liners, spray them with nonstick spray. The oatmeal cups stick to the liners a bit regardless, so I recommend skipping them.
In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together, except for the apples (and nuts and coarse sugar). Using a spoon or silicone spatula, fold in the apples and nuts (if using). Batter will be a little liquidy. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, making sure both the oats/apples and liquid are in each. Fill all the way to the top. If desired, sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
Bake for 28-30 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and top appears set. If the tops are browning very quickly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the muffin pan.
Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Cover leftover oatmeal cups tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Notes
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Bake the oatmeal cups, cool completely, and store in the refrigerator all week for easy breakfasts. Reheat in the microwave or bake in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 5-6 minutes. To freeze, bake and cool oatmeal cups. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Warm to your liking.
Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients. If needed, you can replace the eggs with 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana. I do find the oatmeal cups fall apart a little when replacing the eggs.
Sugar: I recommend pure maple syrup because the flavor is outstanding and the baked oatmeal cups are extra moist. Instead, you can use packed brown sugar, coconut sugar, or honey.
Oats: Whole oats give you the best texture. You can use quick oats instead, but they soak up more moisture so the centers won’t be as moist. If using steel-cut oats, soak the oats in the milk for 30 minutes, then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time. The oatmeal cups are best with whole oats.
Apples: Use your favorite variety such as Granny Smith, Fuji, or Honeycrisp. You need about 1 medium apple.
This months challenge(s) were apple fritters or Cinnamon Swirl Bread and I chose the latter. The initial critique was “If I wanted bread, I prefer your bread. If I wanted cinnamon buns, I prefer your KAB cinnamon buns.”
That is not to say there was anything wrong with this bake. It was tasty and easy to make, (despite several rookie brain-freeze mistakes, which I am too embarrassed to list here.)
Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread – Sally
INGREDIENTS • 120g ( ½ c) water, warmed to about 110°F (43°C) • 120g ( ½ c) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C) • 7g (2 ¼ tsp) instant or active dry yeast • 50g ( ¼ c) granulated sugar, divided • 56g (4 Tbl) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut in 4 pieces • 390g (3 c) bread flour plus more as needed • 1 teaspoon salt For the Swirl & Topping • 1 egg white, beaten • 50g ( ¼ c) granulated sugar • 2 tsp ground cinnamon • 14g (1 Tbl) unsalted butter, melted
METHOD
Whisk the warm water, warm milk, yeast, and 2 Tablespoons of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Loosely cover and allow to sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy and frothy on top.
Add the remaining sugar, the butter, 1 cup flour (about 130g), and the salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add another cup of flour. Beat on medium speed until relatively incorporated (there may still be chunks of butter). Add the remaining flour and beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough seems too wet to a point where kneading (next step) would be impossible, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough. Dough should be soft and a little tacky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 8–10 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need; you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough.
Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1 ½ -2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours.
Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup (50g) sugar and the cinnamon together.
When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Lightly flour a work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a large 8×20 inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface with beaten egg white, then sprinkle on the cinnamon-sugar, leaving a 1-inch border uncovered. Roll it up into an 8-inch log. Place the loaf, seam-side down, into the prepared loaf pan. If any cinnamon-sugar filling spilled out of the sides, don’t waste it! Sprinkle it on top of the bread in the loaf pan.
Cover the shaped loaf and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until it’s about 1 inch above the top of the loaf pan.
Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It’s best to bake the bread towards the bottom of the oven so the top doesn’t burn.)
After the dough rises, melt the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter. Lightly brush the melted butter on top of the shaped loaf before baking. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until golden brown. Check on the bread about halfway through baking—if the top of the loaf is browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. The bread is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf registers 195–200°F (90–93°C).
Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for a few minutes in the pan on a cooling rack. Remove loaf from the pan and cool it directly on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Feel free to let it cool completely before slicing, too.
Cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for 6 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
NOTES
Overnight Instructions: Prepare the dough through most of step 4, allowing the dough to rise overnight in the refrigerator instead of in a warm environment. The slow rise gives the bread wonderful flavor! In the morning, let the dough sit on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then continue with step 5. I don’t recommend shaping the bread the night before as it will puff up too much overnight.
Freezing Instructions: Baked bread freezes wonderfully! Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm to your liking. You can also freeze the bread dough. After punching down the dough in step 7, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature. Once at room temperature, punch the dough down again to release any air bubbles. Continue with the rest of step 7 (shaping the dough).
Sally posted a number of recipes lately and her Apple Turnovers caught my eye, plus it is apple season! I followed her recipes for the turnovers and caramel topping. (The topping should have been cooler but I was under a time limit.
I saw how to make (I think it was on a FB Reel) mini pie shells by folding disks of rolled pie dough over the back side of a muffin pan and I had some frozen pie dough that I needed to use so….
I used a half recipe of Sally’s Chocolate Mousse as the filling and some stabilized whipped cream for the topping.
Sally’s post for these muffins looked sooooo good!
Blueberry Muffins – Sally
INGREDIENTS Streusel Topping • ½ cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Muffins • 1¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1 teaspoon baking powder • ½ teaspoon salt • ½ cup (115g) room temperature unsalted butter • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar • ¼ cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar • 2 large room temperature eggs • ½ cup (120g) room temperature sour cream or plain/vanilla yogurt • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract • ¼ cup (60ml) room temperature milk • 1½ cups (250g) fresh or frozen blueberries METHOD
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners. Grease/line a second pan with 2 liners because this recipe yields about 14 muffins. Set aside.
Mix all of the streusel ingredients together. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. By hand, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and stir gently, no more than 4 stirs. Gently, fold in the blueberries.(Optional: Transfer batter to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.)
Spray release spray on the muffin pan before putting cupcake papers in to reduce berries from sticking if they overflow the papers. Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Top each with streusel, gently pressing it down into the surface so it sticks. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205-210 °F or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 23-25 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes:
This recipe made 7 muffins using tulip cups. Put the cups into something to help them stand. I used a 12 well entremet pan which was perfect.
Doubling this recipe should be fine and if each tulip cup was filled to the top should make 12 muffins
Baking time was extended to 45-55 minutes, checking the inside temperature every 5 minutes. I used my ThermoPro being sure to poke it all the way to the bottom, which cooks last, but be sure not to touch the metal of the entremet pan.
Sally posted a description of these pretzel bites and I was sold. I make pretzels fairly often and received warm reviews on their texture and flavor. These definitely do not disappoint. They are easy to make (no need to master the pretzel swirl.)
The only change I made to Sally’s recipe was to add the light malt powder. I have been using Breiss Dry Malt Golden Light from when I used to brew my own ale.
Soft Pretzel Bites – Sally
Yield: 5 dozen INGREDIENTS • 350g (1½ c) warm water (lukewarm; around 100°F is great) • 7g (2 ¼ tsp) instant or active dry yeast (1 packet) • 1 Tbl brown sugar or granulated sugar • 1 tsp salt • 14g (1 Tbl) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled • 470-500g (3 ¾- 4 c) all-purpose flour (divided) plus more for hands and work surface • Coarse sea salt Baking Soda Bath • 5 Tbl baked baking soda • 12 cups water • 2 Tbl light malt powder
METHOD
Whisk warm water, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle or dough hook attachment. (If you do not have a stand mixer, just use a regular large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.) Cover yeast mixture and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until foamy on top. Add salt, melted butter, and 3 cups (375g) of flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed, then add 3/4 cup (95g) of flour. Beat on low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If dough is extremely sticky after 1 minute of mixing, add remaining 1/4 cup (30g) of flour and continue to beat for 1 more minute.
Keep the dough in the mixer (and switch to the dough hook if using the paddle) and beat for an additional 5 – 10 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 -10 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 tsp of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the bounce back test.
Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 1 large or 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats. Set aside.
With a bench scraper, cut dough into 6 equal pieces. Sprinkle work surface very lightly with flour. Roll each piece of dough into a 20-inch rope. If the ropes keep shrinking and stretching the dough becomes difficult, stop what you’re doing, lightly cover all of the dough, and let it rest for 10 minutes so the gluten can relax. Then, return to rolling it into ropes. Cut each rope into 1½–2-inch pieces to make bites.
Mix water and baking soda and malt powder together in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Place 8–10 pretzel bites into the boiling water for a quick 10–15 seconds. Using a slotted spatula or spoon, lift the pretzel bites out of the water and allow excess water to drip off. Place bites onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each with coarse sea salt while they are still wet, or leave plain if using cinnamon sugar topping listed in the notes. Repeat baking soda bath with remaining pretzel bites. If needed, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked bites for up to 24 hours before baking.
Bake for 15 – 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Cover and store leftover pretzel bites at room temperature for up to 3 days. They lose a little softness over time. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds or bake in a 350°F for 5 minutes.
I was about to run out of chocolate calettes so decided to make Sally’s Peanut Butter Cookies. Good choice. In case you were wondering my favorite chocolate calettes are Callebaut Recipe No. 811 Belgian Dark Chocolate Callets 54.5%
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
INGREDIENTS • 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature* • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar • 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar • 2 large eggs, room temperature • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract • 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter* • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled) • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • optional: 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, for rolling
METHOD
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and peanut butter and mix on high until combined. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be thick, yet very sticky. Cover dough tightly and chill for at least 3 hours (and up to 2 days) in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Roll balls of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and roll into granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Press fork into the tops to create the criss-cross pattern. Bake for 11 minutes or until very lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft and undone. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to “set” on the baking sheet during this time.
NOTES
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 3. Baked cookies freeze well – up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well – up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter is softened, not melted in the slightest. Do not soften in the microwave – that makes it sort of melty and greasy. Place out 1 hour before beginning. Room temperature eggs are preferred. Good rule of thumb: always use room temperature eggs when using room temperature butter. Peanut Butter: Chunky peanut butter works as well. I do not suggest using natural style, oily peanut butter. Brands such as Jif or Skippy work best
I had an idea for making sandwich meringue cookies filled with raspberry curd folded into cream cheese whipped cream. I did not consider the effect of putting wet filling between to layers of meringue. (Bring a spoon.)
Making meringue cookies requires many egg whites. So what do you to with a bunch of egg yolks? Make creme patisserie, of course. What do you do with a bowl of creme patisserie? Make eclairs of course.
I did all of the above.
Choux Pastry
INGREDIENTS • 250g Water • 80g Butter cut into small pieces • 150g Bread Flour • 6 or 7 Eggs • 1/8 tsp Salt
METHOD
In a saucepan that can hold four times the quantity of liquid to be used, add the water, salt and the butter.
Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Be sure the butter is completely melted before the water comes to a boil ; if not, a portion of the water will evaporate, rendering the batter too dry.
Remove the boiling water/butter mixture from the heat and add the flour (this is done off the heat to avoid excessive evaporation of the liquid). Make sure the flour is added all at once to avoid lumps.
Work the mixture with a spatula, moving slowly at first to avoid splashing the water or spilling out any of the flour. Work with the spatula at an angle to the mixture, to avoid splashing and ensure a smoother mixture. Once the mixture begins to stiffen, work it rapidly until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
Put the saucepan back on a high heat while working the batter rapidly with the spatula. Continue stirring until the mixture coats the bottom of the pan with a heavy film.
When working the batter over the heat, it is preferable to stop the process early rather than overworking.
Transfer the batter to a stand mixer bowl and beat at medium speed until it cools to 115 deg
Add one third of the eggs and mix until fully absorbed, then incorporate the remaining eggs carefully, one beaten egg at a time, until the desired consistency is obtained
The batter should form a ‘ribbon’. Take a small quantity of the batter on the end of the spatula and hold it 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) above the surface of the bowl, at a 45 degree angle. The batter should fall off slowly without breaking or running off as a liquid.
Run a finger through the batter at about 1 cm (1/2 in) depth. The indentation left in the batter should slowly close in on itself.
Take a small quantity of the pastry on the tip of the finger and hold the finger upright. The pastry should form a small hook at the end.
For large pastries and for individual-sizes, a #12 pastry tip should be used. For ‘petits fours’ pastries, use a #7 tip.
Be sure to arrange the pastries in staggered rows, to allow the heat of the oven to circulate among the individual pieces. – Brushing these pastries with egg wash improves their appearance. Be sure to use a very little egg wash. If too much is used, it drips down the sides, hardens during the cooking, and prevents the pastries from rising. Once the egg wash has been applied, lightly streak each pastry with the back of a fork that has been deep in cold water (to prevent sticking). That will even out the shapes of the pastries and break up the bubbles that may be trapped in the pastries, Wich would distort their shape during the cooking.
Places the pastries in a very hot oven preheated at 500 F. Turn it off and leave the pastries 15 min. Turn on the oven at 160 C (320 F) and bake the pastries for 15-20 more minutes. The choux must be golden brown and not light
The cooking of the pate å choux is complete when it is firm enough to not fall when taken from the oven. The pastries should have a golden brown color on all their surface and should be slightly paler on the sides. As soon as they come out the oven, it is best to remove them to a cake rack to cool. Otherwise, moisture is likely to accumulate on the bases and cause them to dampen and become soft. If, however, they seem too dry, it is best to cover them with a towel after transferring them onto cooling racks.
Meringue Raspberry and Cream Cheese Filled Cookies
INGREDIENTS
• 4 (120g) large RT egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 200g (1 c) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
METHOD
Preheat oven to 225F (105C) and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large, completely clean, grease-free bowl.
Using a stand mixer with the whisk, stir on low speed until mixture becomes foamy then Increase speed to high.
With mixer on high, gradually add sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition until sugar is dissolved (about 15-20 seconds between each addition).
Beat until mixture is thick, shiny, and has increased in volume. Mixture should have stiff peaks and sugar should be completely dissolved (you can test this by rubbing a small bit of the mixture between your fingers, if it feels gritty, the sugar isn’t dissolved).
Stir in vanilla extract and any other extract you may like to use. If using food coloring, add the food coloring at this stage, too.
Fit a large disposable piping bag with a large tip and transfer meringue to prepared piping bag and pipe onto prepared cookie sheet. The meringue cookies can be pretty close to each other as they won’t spread, and you will want to bake all of the cookies at the same time, so make sure you make enough space.
Bake on 225F for 1 hour. Turn off the oven once the baking time has passed, and do not open the oven. Leave the oven door closed and allow cookies to cool completely in the oven (1-2 hours) before removing.
Meringue cookies should be crisp and can be stored in an airtight container. Keep away from heat and moisture as it can soften your meringues.
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
INGREDIENTS • 85g (3 oz) full-fat block RT cream cheese • 240g (1 c ) heavy cream, cold • 23g (3 Tbl) confectioners’ sugar • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
METHOD
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and beat until completely smooth (absolutely no lumps!).
Add a few Tablespoons of the cold heavy cream, and beat until the mixture loosens and smooths out.
With the mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the remaining heavy cream.
Increase to medium high speed and whip until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Spread or pipe as desired
I saved this recipe for a while, but today was the day. Soft, tender muffins enhanced by the flavor of peaches and blueberries. In truth, Sallly’s recipe did not include blueberries, and I had some, so why not?
Peach/Blueberry Streusel Muffins – Sally
INGREDIENTS Crumb Topping • 67g ( 1/3 c) light or dark brown sugar • 15g (1 Tbl) granulated sugar • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon • 56g ( ¼ ) unsalted butter, melted • 84g ( 2/3 c) all-purpose flour Muffins • 219g (1 ¾ c all-purpose flour • 1 tsp baking soda • 1 tsp baking powder • ½ tsp ground cinnamon • 1/8 tsp ground allspice • ½ tsp salt • 113g ( ½ c) RT unsalted butter • 100g ( ½ c) light or dark brown sugar • 50g ( ¼ c) granulated sugar • 2 large eggs, room temperature • 120g ( ½ c) RT plain yogurt or sour cream • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract • 30ml (2 Tbl) RT milk • ~300g (1 ½ c) peeled chopped peaches • 100 g Blueberries Vanilla Icing (Optional) • 120g (1 c) confectioners’ sugar • 45g (3 Tbl) heavy cream (or milk for a thinner consistency) • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
METHOD
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12 count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter together in a small bowl until combined. Add the flour and use a fork to gently mix until crumbs form. Don’t over-mix into a paste. Just mix until it is crumbly. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.)
Add the eggs, yogurt or sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then turn up to high speed until the mixture is combined and mostly creamy. (It’s ok if it appears somewhat curdled.) Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the chopped peaches.
Spoon the batter evenly into each cup or liner, filling each all the way to the top. Spoon crumb topping on each, gently pressing it down so it sticks.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F; then, without opening the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16–19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21–24 minutes.
Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. When warm, the muffins are quite fragile because of the wet peaches. Let them cool for at least 15 minutes before unwrapping and eating.
Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and drizzle over warm or cooled muffins.
Iced or plain muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
Muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. It’s best to freeze the muffins without the icing and add the icing after thawing and before serving. (Freezing them with the icing on is completely fine, but the muffins taste better with fresh icing.) Thaw muffins in the refrigerator or at room temperature before icing/serving.
You can use either regular or Greek plain yogurt in this recipe (any fat content) or sour cream. The same amount of unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana may also be used if needed.
You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy.
Frozen Peaches: You can use chopped frozen peaches—do not thaw. Extend total bake time by 1–2 minutes.
Jumbo Muffin Pan: 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 22–25 minutes for a total of 27–30. Makes about 6.
Mini Muffin Pan: 350°F for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.
I saw a recipe for an easy peach cobbler and used it as the basis of my version. As claimed, it was easy to make with minimal pans used, hence quick clean up. Not to mention it is delicious, but it’s peaches… so no surprise.
Peach Cobbler
INGREDIENTS • 4 Tbl unsalted butter • 400g (3 c) peeled and sliced peaches • 90g ( ¾ c all-purpose flour • 100g ( ½ c granulated sugar • 1 ½ tsp baking powder • ¾ tsp kosher salt • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon • 2/3 cup whole milk (I use a Tbl heavy cream and fill with 2% to 2/3 cup • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 100 g blueberries (optional)
METHOD
Line an 8×8” baking pan with parchment paper leaving a couple of inches extending over all four edges of the pan to make lifting the crumble out of the pan easier.
Add the butter on top of the parchment paper and set the baking dish in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the butter is melted, remove the baking dish from the oven (4-6 minutes.) Set the baking dish aside while preparing the batter.
In a medium sized bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until completely mixed. Add the milk and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
Pour the batter into the baking dish with the melted butter. There is no need to stir. Add the sliced peaches (and optional blueberries) directly on top of the batter.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cobbler is golden and set in the middle, 45-55 minutes. The fruit will make the base wet. You may want to tent the pan after 40 minutes and let the crumble bake a few more minutes.
Once baked, remove from the oven and cool 15 minutes before serving.
