Cornmeal Peach Muffins: Portable Peach Cobbler

Potlucking by bike is tricky work, almost as tricky as picnicking. For some reason, sweets lend themselves to portability in a way roast goose just doesn't. And so the potluck diabetic begins his insulin spiral through the shoofly pies and gingersnaps and (in some anonymous midwestern towns dear to everyone's heart) triple-cookie marshmallow jello krispy mush.

Just think of these muffins as portable peach cobbler. Pack them full of fiber, butter, and less-guilty sugars, bike really fast, and maybe you'll turn out all right in the end. I flipped open the old Boston Cooking School Cookbook for the structure here, but a little of this morning's oatmeal porridge sneaked in, the butter got itself browned, a streusel fell on top, and the peaches just got all sunny-soft inside.

Cornmeal Peach Muffins

Preheat the oven to 400 and butter a muffin pan.
Peel two big peaches and dice them in medium chunks. Chop the peels a little finer and (not kidding!) add them back to the peaches.

Combine:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
4 t. baking powder
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup oat bran
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
and whisk it all together.

In another bowl, mix:
1/4 lb. melted and browned butter
one serving leftover porridge
4 eggs
2/3 cup yogurt
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup maple syrup

For the streusel topping, combine:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
pinch nutmeg
pinch salt
and rub in:
4 T. butter

Add the liquids to the dries, fold in the peaches, ladle into the buttered muffin holes, and sprinkle generously with streusel. Bake until golden and a knife comes out clean, some 25 minutes. Makes 1.5 dozen.