Peaches and Coconut Cream Muffins to Warm the Soul

Back-to-school is over. My kids are officially back, and that means summer is coming to a close. The sun isn’t as warm these days, and my garden is prolific for the lack of heat, not because of it. The farmers market will start changing over their produce as the season changes, and already the winter squash is showing up more and more, and the summer squash is becoming fewer and farther between. For all these reasons, I’m making peach muffins.

All summer I wait for the peaches to come, and when they are here it seems all too fleeting. But it’s perfect timing, if you think about it. Peaches are great to bake with, and here they are just as the weather starts to cool and the thought of firing up the oven doesn’t have you imagining melting into a hot puddle on the kitchen floor. (At least your floors would be clean, right?)

Taking my cue from Brooke and using her recipe to build on, I opted for a healthier muffin that screamed of the beauty that fall brings as I try to embrace the autumnal beauty and not cry at the thought of below-zero temps to come.

Coconut oil. We’re using it in place of butter or vegetable oil here, and it’s fantastic.

For the sugar we’re looking at raw honey. After growing up on raw honey from my uncle’s bees, there is something comforting about the thick and cloudy raw honey.

Both the coconut oil and the honey are going to meet an egg in my mixer.

For the flours I went with a spelt and whole wheat mix in this recipe, but you could use all spelt if you prefer.

Pour in the coconut milk and mix.

Now we have a canvas to add flavor to. It’s the end of summer and there are peaches. I suggest you buy them. Eat them. Bake with them. Freeze them. Savor them. These happen to be Faye Alberta peaches that my neighbor so graciously gifted to me. They are smooth and tart, and I’m addicted. These have that fill-your-nose peach smell. My neighbors are the best. Seriously.

And mix them in.

And mix them in. A crumb topping always makes muffins better, doesn’t it? Something about it makes an ordinary, everyday muffin look like a piece of cake. And yes, the crumb topping is also sweetened with honey.

Oats, honey, coconut oil, spelt flour:

Crumb topping.

And they’re ready to bake. You’re almost there.

Oh, yeah. I made some icing for them too. I mean, this is an obvious choice, right? It’s Brooke’s fault. Blame her and her gorgeous muffins that called to me.

Have you been enjoying the shifting season yet? We have been hanging on to every moment, going on family bike rides after dinner, spending our evenings outdoors and trying to avoid the mosquitoes. And with overnight lows dipping into the 40s, I’ve been baking again, which makes everyone happy. There’s something about fresh-from the oven muffins on a brisk morning that just make you stop and smile and appreciate all that you have.