Summer Peach Muffins w/ Bacon-Pecan Streusel Topping

I had a hard time naming this recipe. Fresh-picked peaches, pecans and... BACON. Enough said? It's no secret I'm a fan of fruit and fried pork. It is probably true that most things taste better with bacon. Peach muffins certainly do! 

I also had a hard time deciding whether these would be muffins or scones or what. This recipe makes a wet, sticky dough that is perfectly appropriate for drop-scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, or - given a few kneads on a floured surface - shaped scones, too. You might mix the bacon in with the dough and just do a simple glaze on the top of shaped scones. The possibilities are endless! I chose to bake mine in a muffin tin and pack on as much bacon-y streusel goodness as humanly possible. So, calling them muffins instead of scones seemed appropriate.

The other thing you might do, because these really are quite decadent as a morning muffin (not complaining!) is save the sugary liquid that you will drain off of the peaches...

...and reduce it down a bit on the stovetop. Then serve these puppies after a special dinner, drizzled with what will basically amount to peach simple syrup. With a little ice cream on the side, why not? Call them cakes. Either way, you should probably save the syrup. You will find something fun to do with it!

Brown sugar, bacon, pecans. Makes me smile.

~1/4 c. drops  of dough into muffin tins.

Unbaked, packed with topping. Sweep the extra into the sides; it will stick to the baked & cooled muffins.

These smelled so. good.

What's next? I still have a lot of peaches left...

Ingredients

4-5 slices bacon, cooked, cooled, crumbled/chopped (~1/3 c.)

2 large peaches, diced (~2 c.)

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

4 tsp baking powder

6 TB cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 c. vanilla yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Struesel topping:

1 c. light brown sugar

1/4 c. shortening

4 TB flour 

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

bacon

1/2 c. pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease (I use Crisco) a 12-cup muffin tin (mine is dark, non-stick).

You can start cooking your bacon now, if you haven't already. It needs to be cooled before mixing in with the topping.

Mix peaches with sugar and set aside while you work with dry ingredients. This allows time for some juicing.

Whisk together flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking powder. (If you're making scones, and you like them a bit denser, you may reduce baking powder by a TB or so here.) Work in cold butter with a pastry cutter, until mixture resembles course crumbs.

In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, eggs and vanilla until well combined.

Drain peaches, reserving liquid if you plan to reduce it and use as a syrup/topping for the muffins/cakes.

Add wet ingredients and peaches to the dry ingredients, stirring just until most of the flour is incorporated. It will pull from the sides of the bowl.

Plop scant 1/4 c. scoops into greased muffin tins (drop-scones onto parchment-lined sheet; or work as shaped scones).

Prepare streusel topping. Sprinkle and lightly press onto tops, sweeping extra into the sides of the muffin tins. Don't be stingy. This recipe makes a ton of topping!

Reduce oven to 375 degrees F and bake for 15-20 minutes (mine took 18), until risen and topping is quite brown in spots.

Remove and cool a few minutes. It might help to sort of scrape & loosen the overflowing topping from the top of your pan with a knife or fork, so that muffins come out more easily when cooled. Cool & remove & enjoy.

Makes 12.

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