Soft, moist muffins bursting with fresh fruit.

After a long, grey winter of apples, apples, a quick flurry of clementines over the holidays, then back to apples, apples and more apples, it is mind-blowingly fun to go to the grocer’s now! Plums, peaches, apricots, cherries, berries… all those gloriously sweet, juicy fruits that make me hungry just looking at them.

But it turns out you can fill the fruit basket only so many times before the novelty wears off for the kids and they are asking me to do something with nature’s bounty.

Bake it, to be precise. Into cake.

Mmmm’kay.

Makes 12 standard sized muffins
Preparation about 30 minutes
Baking about 20 minutes

Ingredients

125g (1 cup, spooned and scraped) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
115g (1 stick or 8 Tbsp) unsalted butter
2 medium sized, ripe but firm peaches
2 large eggs
150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 – 3 Tbsp milk, as required
powdered (confectioners’ or icing) sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 175°C (350ºF) and set up 12 cupcake liners on a baking sheet or in a muffin pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan or the microwave, melt the butter. Set aside to cool.

Halve the peaches, remove the stones, peel and cut into small chunks. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together with a whisk until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat to incorporate.

Using a hand whisk, stir in half the flour. Add half the melted butter and whisk gently to combine, then repeat with the remaining flour and the remaining butter. Add milk to loosen, as required (I used 2 Tbsp).

Stir in the peaches, then distribute the batter evenly between the cupcake liners.

Bake in centre of oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar, if desired.