Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

I seriously cannot believe it is already August; where has the time gone? It's amazing how at one point, summer felt so far away and in an instant, it's gone in a blink of an eye. I'm still looking forward to my vacation at the end of the month though - it seems like it has taken forever to come. 

I'll be going to Cancun, which I wasn't all too excited about at first because it's a little cliche and overrun with tourists, but I decided I was gonna make the best of it. I started researching all the awesome places to go, like here and here and here, and now I find myself incredibly excited. Underground caves? Yes, I'd like that, I'd like that very much. A fine example of why you shouldn't judge things too quickly.

Anyways, I'm pretty sure I made these last summer, goes to show how much of a procrastinator I am. But since it's summer now, these cupcakes are perfectly fitting for the season. We actually have gorgeous peach trees at home, both yellow and white, so I love baking with them. These cupcakes will inhabit your dreams, they do mine, while I reminisce about eating them last summer...

Full of fresh peach chunks and a tender cake, then topped with a crispy-crunchy top. On top of that, a fluffy frosting made of pudding mix! I wanted to try something new and I'm glad I did. It's perfectly rides the line between being too sweet and not sweet enough and it's velvety on the tongue. Definitely a home-y, comforting little cake.

Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

Yields: 16 cupcakes

Cupcakes adapted from here. Frosting adapted from here.

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cup peaches, skins removed, roughly chopped (about 2 medium)

For the crumble:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

For the peach-pudding buttercream:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 stick salted butter, room temperature

1 pkg. white chocolate instant pudding mix

1/2 - 3/4 cup heavy cream (depending on how thick you want your frosting)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of cardamom

1/2 cup powdered sugar (or more depending on your taste)

To make the crumble, mix everything in a bowl with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugars in a stand mixer for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the peaches. Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 full. Sprinkle each cupcake with about 1 tbsn. of the crumble mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

To make the frosting, in a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and silky. Turn the speed to low and add the pudding mix, when incorporated, slowly add in the cream, a little at a time. When fully incorporated, bring the speed up to high and beat for 5 - 7 minutes this ensures you beat the grit of the pudding mix out). Turn the speed back down to low and add the powdered sugar, tasting along the way. When it is sweet enough to your taste, beat again at high speed for 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and spices then bring the speed back to low and beat for 3 minutes longer.

Peach Cobbler Bars, Mango Mojitos & A Farewell to Summer

I love summer, but I love fall & winter more! There's something about cold weather, scarves, boots and mittens that make me so incredibly happy. I seriously cannot wait for all things hot chocolate, pumpkin and spiced! Fortunately though, even though summer is incredibly hot and sticky, it provides us with the most luscious fruits of the year: the juicy peach and the perfect mango, two of my favorites! Fruit desserts have always been one of my favorites because their freshness cuts into the sweetness, since I like my desserts not overly sweet.

These bars taught me something important: not all bars have to be super sweet or crispy/ chewy. I'd always had a certain vision of what bars are supposed to be and these are the total opposite! They're cake-y, subtly sweet, delicate and quite possibly the best farewell to summer I could have asked for.

Peach Cobbler Bars

Yields: about 20 bars

Original recipe here.

For the bars:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond extract

4 eggs

3 cups flour

3/4 pinch tsp. salt

For the filling:

6 - 8 peaches, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsn. cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a large cookie sheet, set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time making sure well incorporated after each addition. Add in vanilla and almond extracts. Slowly add flour and salt and mix until incorporated. Spread 3/4 of the mixture into the prepared pan. Mix peaches, brown sugar and cinnamon together then evenly distribute over the batter. Drop the rest of the batter by tablespoons over the peaches and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until edges start to turn brown. Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla and cream and drizzle half of the mixture over the warm bars. Allow to cool, cut into 3 inch squares and drizzle over the remaining glaze.

Mojitos are one of my favorite mixed drinks on this earth. Most often, I'd prefer a beer or a glass of wine rather than a mixed drink but Mojitos are just always, always sublime. The mix of lime and mint is perfection and so refreshing on a hot summer day!

Add mango, and you've got perfection x 100! Mango is my favorite fruit ever and when you use a perfectly ripe, summer mango in this recipe, it's flavor is just heightened to infinity. Please enjoy this on your last summer day!

Mango Mojitos

Yields: 4 servings

Original recipe here.

several mint leaves

6 oz. rum (I used mango rum)

2 cups club soda

4 oz. simple syrup

4 oz. fresh mango puree

Muddle the mint with a muddler or the bottom of a wooden spoon. Mix all the ingredients together, then serve over ice. Enjoy!