Just Peachy: 2 Recipes Using THE In-Season Fruit

Peaches are in season!  Hooray!

Peach Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh peaches (2 medium peaches, seeded), chopped (or frozen unsweetened peaches, thawed)
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cupcake liners (optional)

Instructions:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin and set aside. Sift 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.   In a small bowl, toss the peaches with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour. 

Whisk together the sour cream, butter, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring quickly until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the peaches and divide the
batter among the muffin cups. (The dough will be somewhat cakey.) Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean and the muffins are puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. 

Remove the muffins from the oven, let cool in the tin for five minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Pork Chops with Roasted Peach Sauce

Ingredients:
3 ripe peaches
Butter
6 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. powdered ginger
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. garlic
Cooking spray
1 T. olive oil
4 thick pork chops, boneless
Pepper

Instructions:  

Peel peaches, and cut in half to remove the pit.  Place on a baking tray, hollow side up, and dot with about 1 tsp
of  salted butter per half. Sprinkle each half with 1 T. of  brown sugar, and roast in preheated oven at 425 for about 25 minutes, or until tender throughout.

Combine roasted peaches, soy sauce, and ginger in a food processor; process until smooth.  Set aside.

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat with olive oil over medium heat. Trim all visible fat from chops, season with pepper, and brown chops.  Remove chops and cover with foil.

Pour peach sauce in skillet, and boil until reduced by half.  Add chops, and serve.