This is Lee’s favorite recipe from his Peaches & Past Times cookbook. “I’ve made it many times,” he said. “I love them.

 
Peaches and Cream Muffins

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1 cup fresh peaches, peeled and diced
Melted butter
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted lightly
Sugar

Peach Cream Filling

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup peach preserves, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat milk and egg together. Add to creamed mixture, blending lightly. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, blending well. Fold in diced peaches. Fill muffin cups with batter about two-thirds full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Five minutes or so after removing muffins from oven brush with melted butter. Gently press a few toasted almonds on top of each muffin and sprinkle with sugar. After muffins have completely cooled, cream the filling ingredients together. Place in pastry bag with a large mouth tip and gently squeeze peach cream into each muffin by inserting the tip into the middle of the
bottom of each muffin. Gently squeeze, do not over fill. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Take muffins out of refrigerator about 10-15 minutes before serving to allow cream mixture to soften.
Enjoy!