Ingredients:

  • 2 large Eggs (lightly beaten, room temperature)
  • 1 cup (240g) Cottage Cheese (4% or whole milk recommended, slightly drained)
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) Vegetable Oil or melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 3/4 cup (150g) Granulated Sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups (210g) All-Purpose Flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt (fine sea salt)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon (optional)
  • 2 medium Fresh Peaches (firm but ripe, diced into 1/2 inch pieces)
  • 2 tablespoons Turbinado or Demerara Sugar (for topping)
  • 1 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour (for tossing with peaches)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners. Dice peaches; gently toss them in 1 tablespoon of the measured flour to prevent sinking during baking.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the lightly beaten eggs, cottage cheese, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar until just combined. Do not over-mix.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until they are thoroughly incorporated.
  4. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold them together until they are just combined. A few streaks of flour are perfectly fine; over-mixing leads to dense muffins.
  5. Gently fold in the flour-coated peach pieces.
  6. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the tops evenly with the turbinado or demerara sugar for a crunchy crust.
  7. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for exactly 5 minutes to encourage a good dome. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) without opening the door if possible, and continue baking for another 17–20 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  8. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.