Not having to shred your own cheese is a huge time-saver when you've got a lot of things going on. When I was given the opportunity as an Allrecipes.com Brand Ambassador to come up with a new recipe using Sargento cheese, I knew it'd be right up my alley! The theme I was given was "Summer Everyday" and I was thrilled to come up with a recipe that would scream summer throughout the year.
When I think of summer, I think immediately of a nice ripe juicy peach. Although peaches are at their peak in summer, if you're lucky, your store will carry them in winter too. Peaches have the perfect combination of sweet and tart flavors. What better way to chase the winter blues away!
I love combining sweet and savory flavors together and thought peaches and sharp cheddar would be the perfect marriage of flavors. Add to that a hint of fresh basil and voila, you have Summer Peach, Basil & Cheddar Muffins. Check out my published recipe over on allrecipes.com or keep reading!
These are a savory muffin with just a hint of sweetness, perfect for a summer brunch, a side at lunch, a quick breakfast or a mid-day treat throughout the year! They were inspired by Apple Cheddar muffins my mom used to make when I was growing up. I always loved taking a bite and tasting sweet and salty flavors. My brother and I used to eat the whole dozen up in no time!
For this recipe, it's best to use RIPE fresh peaches. They provide the perfect amount of juice to mix into the flour. I like to sprinkle the minced basil and a tablespoon of brown sugar on the diced peaches and let them sit for about 15-20 minutes to really let the flavors blend and get the juices out of the peaches.
Next all you have to do is add the dry ingredients to the peaches and they're all set to bake, once you top them with a bit of shredded cheese.
I absolutely love these served slightly warm and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! I brought a dozen of these to work while I was still tweaking my recipe, and they disappeared within minutes! Thank you Sargento for helping my recipe come together perfectly!
Summer Peach, Basil & Cheddar Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 peaches, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 tsp fresh basil, minced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (such as Sargento Off the Block)
- 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners.
2. Mix peaches, basil, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in a bowl; let sit until sugar dissolves, about 15 minutes.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Mix 1 cup Cheddar cheese into flour mixture.
4. Beat butter and remaining 7 tablespoons brown sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, until just combined; gently fold in peaches.
5. Mix flour mixture, a little at time, into peach mixture until batter is just combined.
6. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese over batter.
7. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
2. Mix peaches, basil, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in a bowl; let sit until sugar dissolves, about 15 minutes.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Mix 1 cup Cheddar cheese into flour mixture.
4. Beat butter and remaining 7 tablespoons brown sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, until just combined; gently fold in peaches.
5. Mix flour mixture, a little at time, into peach mixture until batter is just combined.
6. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese over batter.
7. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 12 muffins
