Wanna know how I really feel about this post?

Peachy keen! Is that too aggressive, a pun right out of the gate? I just couldn't help myself. There are way too many good peach puns not to kick off the post that way. In fact, there are almost as many peach puns as there are ways to use peaches, and tbh, I'm on board with all of them (puns included).

Now don't get me wrong, I love a good peach, just as it is, in all it's sweet and juicy glory. In fact, I could easily subsist on peaches (and other stone fruit) alone. But I'm sure not opposed to them being mixed into cake, ice cream, muffins or really any other baked goods. Luckily, I'm the lady at the farmer's market buying up 20 pounds of peaches so I've got more than enough to go around.

Recently, I decided to turn a few of those peaches into some muffins, chai peach muffins with spiced walnut crumb topping to be exact. And yeah, they're kind of every bit as amazing as they sound. Here's the deets. When you bite into one of these babies, you're getting something that tastes a little like a soft and fluffy spiced vanilla cake, sprinkled with sweet peach pieces and with a nice toasted, crunchy flavor to finish things off. I meeeeeaaaaan....I already wanted peach season to last eternally, but these make me really, really want it to last forever.

So to recap: you should buy some peaches immediately. Then mix up a batch of these chai peach muffins (Because, as we've already established, they're amazing!). Throw on your robe, brew up some coffee, grab a paper/magazine/tablet/whatever-it-is-you-read-these-days and settle in for a perfect little morning. Maybe even invite a few friends over to help you eat the leftovers. Or, on second thought, just enjoy them yourself. Because sharing is caring, but also YOLO (Sorry in advance to the friends I never share my leftovers with...I promise I still love you! I'm just terrible at sharing ;D.).  

What's your favorite recipe or way to use peaches?

INGREDIENTS

For the muffins

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons chai spice mix (see below)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla flavor)
• 1/2 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla flavor; you could also sub regular milk)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 peaches, diced

For the topping

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened slightly
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup of oats
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon chai spice mix (see below)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a muffin pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together until well mixed. Set aside.
3. In a separate smaller bowl, combine the olive oil, yogurt, almond milk, eggs and vanilla and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add to the dry ingredients and, using a spatula, gently fold to combine, stopping about halfway through mixing to add the peaches. Do not over-mix, or your muffins will be dense and chewy, instead of light and fluffy. Once the batter is mixed, set aside while you prepare the topping.
4. In a separate bowl combine all of the topping ingredients, and use your fingers to work all the ingredients together into a crumbly mix.
5. Scoop 1/4 cup of muffin batter into each prepared muffin tin, then finish with 2-3 teaspoons of crumb topping. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake 7-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove to a baking rack and allow to cool. These are best eaten fresh from the oven, or within 1-2 days, with coffee and good read on the side. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container.

NOTES

For the chai spice mix, I used: 3 teaspoons ginger, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cardamom and 1 teaspoon of allspice. Stir to combine and store leftovers in an airtight jar.