Healthy Peach & Oat Muffins

Peach season has arrived and I am SO EXCITED. I bought an 18 pound box of peaches from our church (all the proceeds go to our youth group which is so awesome) and they are absolutely perfect. I've been eating 2 of them pretty much every day- one with breakfast and one after dinner. As for the rest of the bunch, I'm finding new ways to showcase their perfect peach flavor without overcooking/over-sugaring them. Just the other day I was telling my mom how I find it a little sad to make something like jam out of such lovely tasting fruit. (Am I strange for feeling that way? Yes? Well OK then.) These healthy peach and oat muffins are just about the best thing ever. Healthy and with just a hint of what's around the corner (spoiler alert: it's FALL) thanks to a cinnamon-sugar coating on top.

These muffins came at a great time for me because I've been trying to work more whole grains into my diet. Specifically, I've been trying to add more wheat germ into my meals. Sprinkled on top of peanut butter toast: yum. Added to a peanut butter & banana smoothie: yum. Stirred into this muffin batter: winner. The wheat germ along with a healthy amount of rolled oats and whole wheat flower make me feel pretty good about eating one of these with my yogurt in the morning or as a midday snack with a little chamomile tea.

Perhaps my favorite part about these peach muffins is that they allow the fruit to really show off. When you bite into the nutty bread of the muffin along with a juicy, sweet chunk of peach it's like a Ratatouille moment.

If that doesn't convince you to make these asap I'm not sure what will.

So get to it!

Healthy Peach & Oat Muffins

Serves 12

Total time: 28 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup rolled oats (not instant)
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup diced peaches (washed but not peeled)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Line a muffin tin with liners or spray with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, oats, wheat germ, sugar, salt and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
3. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, egg, and butter. Whisk until smooth.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until no flour is visible.
5. Stir in the peaches and fold them into the batter with a spatula.
6. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to scoop even amounts of the batter into the muffin tins.
7. Sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
8. Bake 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
9. Allow the muffins to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before eating.

Rustic Honey Nectarine Tart

This Rustic Honey Nectarine Tart saved me a little. Let me explain...

I spent an entire day in the kitchen on Friday, which is not unusual for me, testing a recipe for Japanese Cheesecake. Everything had been going perfectly all day so I was feeling rather confident and pleased with myself. The egg whites were a perfect consistency, light and airy with stiff peaks. The cream cheese mixture was a beautiful pale yellow from the addition of egg whites and had a lovely fragrance thanks to delicate vanilla extract. Yes, everything was going just as planned. 

I folded the egg whites into the cream cheese, then scooped the whole lot into a prepared spring form pan. It was gorgeous, sure to come out perfectly after a little over an hour in the oven. About 5 minutes after plopping the cheesecake in the oven I realized that I completely left out a very important ingredient: flour. There was not a trace of flour in my cheesecake. There was no fixing this mistake. The time I had put into this somewhat intimidating recipe was tossed out the window with the dishwater, so to speak. Mistakes happen in cooking but it rarely gets easier, especially when it is something so completely ridiculous like leaving out an ingredient. Ugh.

When I got myself back in the kitchen on Sunday I was a tad apprehensive. I began with a simple slow cooker summer lasagna soup, which seemed like the easiest way to begin. Chop lots of vegetables, dump in some tomatoes and water, and set the timer. Easy. Next, I worked on this tart. Making the dough was therapeutic. I'm learning to really pay attention to how the humblest of ingredients come together to form something simple yet indulgent and comforting. Arranging the nectarines, drizzling them with local raw unfiltered honey, and folding the edges simply around the fruit made me so content. It's a little ridiculous, I know. But that's why I love what I do. It speaks to my soul.

I love rustic tarts because they are more relaxed than their more manicured counterparts. They don't require fancy pans, just a sheet of parchment and a sheet pan. And when they come out of the oven with that lovely golden crust that is perfectly imperfect, it makes me feel the way I want all food to feel: homemade, comforting, and authentic.

I added one final flourish to the crust before I popped it in the oven by mixing a little vanilla with the egg wash. The vanilla added just the right amount of sweet flavor without adding additional sugar. The fruit was not tossed with anything at all, just drizzled with honey I bought at the farmers market a couple weeks ago.

Failing with my Japanese Cheesecake inspired me to take a step back and revisit recipes that made me feel truly happy in the kitchen and at the table. I'll share the summer lasagna soup with you later this week (even the 2 year old ate every last bite not once, not twice, but THREE times!) but for now I hope this rustic nectarine tart brings you a little joy and comfort on this Monday morning the way it did for me.

Happy Summer my friends!

Rustic Honey Nectarine Tart

Makes one 9 inch tart

Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons furikake
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth.
2. Scoop the butter onto a piece of parchment paper that is about 8 inches long.
3. Roll the parchment around the butter and use your hands to mold it into a log about 6 inches long.
4. When the butter is completely rolled up in the parchment, twist the ends and transfer to the refrigerator. Let chill for at least 2 hours.