Muffins show off fresh, seasonal fruit

In the spirit of eating what's in season and eating local, meet this muffin.

Blackberries are in season right now, and the ones I got from the farmers market were so juicy and sweet, they melt in your mouth. Since my good friend and I were making blackberry infused vodka, I decided the theme of the week would be blackberries.

Except for the crumb topping (which is optional) these muffins don't have any oil or butter, and are low on sugar. But they taste amazing! I used Greek yogurt and apple sauce so there is a lot flavor and moisture that you would get from butter or oil.

Try baking muffins in parchment paper cup - a Martha Stewart method. Kinda cool and a great idea when you run out of muffin/cupcake cups, which happens to me often. They work well too with the crumbly topping. It holds the topping in better, no mess.

I hope you enjoy these, they are so good and really considerably healthy. They would work with frozen fruit as well. Even mix it up and try with apples and cinnamon, or orange and cranberry - any other combination you can think. Be creative.

White Peach and Blackberry Muffins

Crumb Topping

1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour

1⁄2 cup brown sugar

1⁄4 cup old fashioned oatmeal

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1⁄2 stick butter

Mix together with your fingertips until crumbly. Set aside.

Muffins

2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup Greek yogurt

2⁄3 cup sugar

1⁄2 cup of applesauce

2 teaspoon vanilla

3⁄4 cup white peaches, peeled and diced

3⁄4 cup blackberries, large ones quartered

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk eggs, yogurt, sugar, applesauce and vanilla together in a separate bowl.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet just enough to get all the dry ingredients moist. Just like pancakes, don't overmix. You still have fruit to fold in, that will help incorporate the batter the rest of the way.

Using a spatula fold in the fruit. I use a small ice cream scoop when making muffins, cupcakes, or cookies, which helps with consistency. Scoop batter into muffin cups. Top with crumb topping.

Bake 17-20 minutes. Use a toothpick to check whether the muffins are done.

• Amanda Skiba of Dayton is a single mom of a preschooler working full-time as a paralegal in Carson City. She's passionate about cooking and posts her favorite recipes at asweetbean.wordpress.com/