These Nectarine Coffee Cake Muffins feel a little like I’m starting to grasp at the very last of summer. We’ve had such a very mild summer here in the PNW – yesterday, when I made these muffins, my cat temperature barometer, our thirteen-year-old calico, was on the couch, thoroughly covered with my shawl. In fact, all of the kitties this weekend were saying that winter is coming – there was a lot of cat piling together on the couch with tails wrapped over noses. Even the dog spent some time on the couch with me first thing in the morning, snuggled up under a blanket.
If winter is right around the corner, I’m highly motivated to take advantage of the bounty of the summer season and do a lot of cooking with the likes of peaches and nectarines. Nectarines are one of my favorite fruits – I like the fact they have smooth skins (I’m not a huge fan of peach fuzzies). Nectarines also bring back happy memories of doing u-pick in my last town in the PNW: the farm where I would do the majority of my u-pick had the most luscious nectarines and while I often went to pick canning quantities, the nectarines were the fruit that were least likely to make it into a jar.
These muffins are fairly quick and easy to make. The nectarine slice on the top gives them a hint of cobbler taste, with plenty of coffee cake crunch from the crumb topping. These are ideal for enjoying a morning’s sunshine on the patio with a cup of coffee.
Nectarine Coffee Cake Muffins
Makes 12
Coffee Cake Muffins Crumb Topping
¼ cup butter, melted
¾ cup flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Coffee Cake Muffins
¾ cup butter
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 large nectarine, sliced into twelve thin pieces
Coffee Cake Muffins Crumb Topping
Add all ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. The flour should be completed blended. Set aside.
Coffee Cake Muffins
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Cream the butter and the sugar until it is fluffy. Add the eggs and mix. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix again.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet, about ¼ cup at a time until all is incorporated.
Line 12 muffin cups with muffin cup liners. Spoon about a quarter cup of the muffin mixture into each cup. Spoon the coffee cake muffin crumb mixture over the top of each muffin and place a nectarine slice on top of each.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the coffee cake muffins comes out clean.
I’m delighted to share this recipe as an Afternoon Tea Time Treats. Please check out the hosts of Tea Time Treats: Jo’s Kitchen, Travels for Taste, and Lavender and Lovage. These are three of my absolute favorite blogs - so do go look.
