Pretty Is As Pretty Does.

That strikes me as singularly ridiculous. Have you stopped to really
think about that phrase? It makes absolutely no sense.
Yes, I understand the sentiment behind it, but the words themselves
grouped together must really baffle someone to whom English is a
second language. It's one of those phrases we mindlessly babble
without giving it a second thought. Weird, huh?

Looks do matter, though, especially in foodie circles.
What is our creed? "You taste with your eyes first."

Let me say this, and I know I've said it before as a disclaimer
before foisting some visually unappealing dish on you:

It ain't pretty. These muffins, that is.
Whether they are supposed to look the way they did, I know not.
I only know that when I made them...well...
I got some ugly moon-surfaced muffins here.

But that's okay, because we're all adults and are smart enough
to look beneath the surface and appreciate the beauty that lies there.
And the taste.

The best thing about these muffins is the filling. This recipe is
my first attempt at inserting a filling into anything, and this filling
is glorious: light, smooth, and slightly sweet.
You're gonna love 'em.

Peaches and Cream Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups canned peaches (29 oz. can), drained and diced
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 cups milk

Filling:

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon reserved peach juice
1 teaspoon almond extract

Topping:*

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:

Dice drained peaches; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine eggs and oil. Whisk in the milk.
Combine egg and flour mixtures just until combined: fold in peaches.

For filling, beat cream cheese, sugar, peach juice, and extract.

Fill greased muffin tins half full of batter. Drop 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of each muffin cup of the batter. Top with 1 1/2 Tablespoons more of the batter.

For topping, mix sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over muffins.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 20 minutes.

Serve warm. Makes 24 regular sized muffins or 12 jumbo sized ones.

When using jumbo muffin tins, bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until
muffins test done.


*I omitted the topping.

I got this recipe from Recipezaar, who cites Addie's Attic Bed and Breakfast.