This weekend we went to the Piedmont Park Green Market.

This market is a little smaller than some of the others, but has some quality vendors and is in a fun location. I bought some awesome produce (shown below) and smelled the handmade soaps while Higgins (shown at top) also participated in two of his favorite activities: pulling us down to say hi to other dogs and begging the treat lady for more snacks. It’s a good thing he’s cute.

After our market visit, we strolled through the green grass of the park enjoying the summer sunshine and listening to the sweet whistling songs of the bluebirds building their nests. practically ran to the car because it is August in Atlanta and about a million degrees outside. And sticky. However, we have been to this market in cooler months and actually taken a walk in the park afterwards. It was quite nice and I recommend it… in May, unless you enjoy heat stroke.

So, anyway while I was there, I bought these…

…(which I was pretty excited about, since most of the peaches I have seen lately have been about the size of a golf ball and all spotty) and decided to make them into muffins.

I started with a recipe from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book called, “Big Beautiful Muffins” mostly because that is a great name and also because America’s Test Kitchen rarely lets me down. Then I added a few twists. I substituted mascarpone cheese for some of the yogurt and added cinnamon and (of course) peaches.

Then, I sprinkled them with sugar.

And baked them.

Mmmm….

Peach Muffins

   Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book’s “Big Beautiful Muffin” recipe

 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt

3/4 cup mascarpone cheese

2 eggs

1 stick (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

2 cups or about 3 whole peaches, chopped

Turbinado sugar (aka Sugar in the Raw) for sprinkling

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mascarpone cheese and eggs. Fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Then, fold in the butter. Finally, fold in the peaches.

 

Spray the muffin pan with cooking spray. Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to portion the batter into the muffin cups. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, spinning the pan halfway through. The muffins are done when they spring back when touched.

 

Allow muffins to cool in pans for 5 minutes. Then, carefully remove from pan and place on cooling rack to finish cooling. I recommend serving still warm with butter or leftover mascarpone cheese.

 

Note: I am not always the most productive person first thing in the morning on Sunday, so actually I made the batter the day before, put it in the pans, covered them with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator overnight. Then, I just pulled them out, sprinkled them with sugar and baked them in the morning. Oh, and ate them.