A reward for enduring an annual physical—Fresh Peach Muffins

How glad I am that our peach supply didn’t poop out before we had enough of those reddish-golden orbs to give themselves up for this recipe! (No chance of that, as I mentioned two days ago. We still have three peach trees with fruit waiting to ripen.)

But what is produced here just may be the most decadent breakfast muffin ever—Fresh Peach Muffins with a Pecan-Crumb Topping. Inside are chunky peachy morsels. Outside on the top is a deep layer of pecan-dotted crumbs that you wade into for quite some time, actually, before you bite into the muffin’s interior.

The recipe, procured online from www.footnetwork.com, is an Emeril specialty. Need I say more? Into my search engine I entered the words “peach breakfast muffins”; the name of famous chef Emeril Lagasse appeared alongside these delights. Did I look any further? Of course not. If Emeril has furnished it, it must be divine. Plus it makes oodles—2 dozen muffins, enough left over to freeze some for my July 4 weekend dining.

Yesterday was my Hubby’s “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam. He had to fast, of course, so blood work could be done. As he emerged ravenous after all that hoopla at the doctor’s office, I had held out these Fresh Peach Muffins as his reward. As he dined on all that decadence, he certainly felt rewarded!

Fresh Peach Muffins with Pecan-Crumb Topping

2 cups finely chopped fresh peaches

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided (I use sugar substitute)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

2 eggs (1/2 cup egg substitute)

1 1/2 cups milk (I use skim)

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 cup brown sugar (or 1/8 cup brown-sugar substitute)

1/4 cup ground pecans

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons cold butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 24 muffin cups. Place the peaches in a bowl and cover them with 1/2 cup of the sugar. Mix thoroughly. Allow the peaches to sit for 1 hour. Using an electric mixer cream the butter and remaining 3/4 cup of sugar until smooth and pale in color—about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. In a mixing bowl combine 3 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Remove the bowl from the mixer; alternately fold in the milk and flour mixture. Be careful not to over mix. Fold in the peaches. Spoon 1/4 cup filling into each prepared muffin cup. In a small bowl combine the remaining flour, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. Mix well. Add the butter. Using your hands mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or use a pastry cutter). Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the crumb mixture over each muffin cup. If you have some left over (I did), evenly disperse it among the muffin tops. Bake muffins for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 24 muffins.

Include these healthy cranberry-almond muffins on your buffet table to welcome Christmas morning

Time to get some of those menu items prepared and stashed away for Christmas-morning breakfast. Whether you plan to have a houseful of guests just after Santa arrives or whether it's just the two of you taking time to luxuriously savor those holiday hours (that’ll be us!), crowning the event with a terrific, memorable breakfast is worth some advance planning.

Prevention Magazine furnished this recipe for a healthy, Christmasy muffin that I've already baked and previewed and stored in my deepfreeze for a Christmas breakfast menu that also will include turkey sausage balls and a potato casserole. As I auditioned Cranberry-Almond Muffins, I spread on some of my homemade pumpkin-apple butter. The end result seemed as though it was a gift from Santa himself.

Whole-wheat flour combines with all-purpose flour as a base for the muffin batter. A heaping addition of whole cranberries (remember their vitamin C and fiber benefits) plus sliced almonds make this a seriously healthy treat. That little touch of red as the cranberries peek through the muffin tops helps decorate your Christmas table.

You even could consider subbing one of these muffins for cookies when you leave out for Santa a little treat! Goodness knows he looks as though he himself could use a little dose of healthy eating.

Cran-Almond Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 large egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/2 cup fat-free milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 2/3 cup whole cranberries

1 tablespoon butter, cut into 12 cubes

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix first five ingredients. Whisk together next 4 ingredients. Fold this mixture into flour mixture. Stir in cranberries. Put batter in muffin pan lined with 12 baking cups (or muffin pan that has been generously greased so muffins will remove easily). Top with butter. Whisk together 2 teaspoons sugar, cinnamon, and almonds; sprinkle on the top of each unbaked muffin. Bake until muffins test done, about 22 minutes. Yields 12.