Peach Crisp

 We went peach picking in July, and I went a little crazy - brought home over 20 pounds of the juicy golden orbs.  Which meant peaches with every meal, for every snack, and peaches n' cream every night.  Not complaining.  But by Sunday of that week, I wanted to cook something with them.  And I just didn't have the patience for pie. 

The thing about "crisps" is that sometimes the topping tastes too much like flour, has too many oats, or gets too soggy in the juice and is more "mush" than "crisp."  This recipe solves all those problems, and probably any others you have.  There are two key ingredients: spices for flavor, and nuts for texture and crunch.  It's really that simple.  The peaches juice and then thicken up on their own.  You make the topping in the food processor.  The hardest thing you have to do for this perfect, simple, summer dessert is decide who you're going to share it with.  If anybody.

Peach Crisp (print recipe)
Serves 4 to 6

Topping:
6 T unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
5 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts, such as almonds, pecans or walnuts

Filling:
3 pounds peaches (or nectarines) (about 6), peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/3-inch wedges
1/2 tsp grated zest and 1 1/2 T juice from one lemon
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1.  For the topping: Place the flour, sugars, spices and salt in a food processor and process briefly to combine.  Add the butter and pulse 10 times, about 4 seconds for each pulse.  The mixture will first look like dry sand, with large lumps of butter, then like coarse cornmeal.  Add the nuts, then process again, four or five 1-second pulses.  The topping should look like slightly clumpy wet sand.  Be sure not to overmix or the mixture will become too wet and homogeneous.  Refrigerate the topping while preparing the fruit, at least 15 minutes.

2.  Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. 

3.  For the filling: Peel, pit, and cut the peaches into 1/3-inch wedges.  Toss the peaches, zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a medium bowl.  Scrape the fruit mixture with a rubber spatula into an 8-inch square baking dish, 9-inch deep dish pie pan, or similar 2-quart dish. 

4.  To assemble and bake:  Distribute the chilled topping evenly over the fruit.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue baking until the fruit is bubbling and the topping turns deep golden brown, about 5 minutes more.  Serve warm.  (The crisp can be set aside at room temperature for a few hours and then reheated in a warm oven just before serving.)

Recipe from Baking Illustrated

1 year ago:  La Diva Chocolate Cake
2 years ago:  Strawberries and Cream Pie
3 years ago: Chocolate Pistachio Cake

Peach and Raspberry Crostada

A few weeks ago I was having some girl friends over for dinner. Old friends from grad school that I was more interested in catching up with than necessarily impressing. But of course there had to be dessert. I wanted something kinda rustic and summery. Like something you'd find at a farmer's market. Something without pressure. A great time to try my first galette. Which, I have learned after further research, is something else! This kind of pastry is called a crostada.

I had peaches and raspberries on hand, and I literally wanted to put them in a crust and bake it. Unfortunately I got a little concerned when I checked some recipes - mostly about overly juiciness of fruit making crust soggy - so I decided to go with this one from Dorie Greenspan who takes several precautions to avoid the problem. First, she brushes the dough with jam to make a bit of a seal between the fruit and the crust. Next, she sprinkles on some graham crumbs to absorb some juice if necessary. And finally, she pours in a little simple custard to hold the fruit together and keep it from all getting too messy. Plus it adds a little creaminess that goes delectably with the fresh fruit and perfectly crispy crust.
In the end, it actually was impressive. For a minute I felt like one of those model hostesses in Martha Stewart throwing together that perfect "effortless" summer dinner party. In reality it was a much more regular gathering, but dessert was great. Really great.

Peach and Raspberry Crostada (print recipe)
Pastry Dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 T) very cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces
2 1/2 T very cold vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces
About 1/4 cup ice water

Filling:
2 to 3 T jam or marmalade
2 T graham cracker crumbs
About 6 firm peaches*
About 1 pint raspberries*
3 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Coarse sugar for dusting

1. Make the Dough: Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don't overdo the mixing - what you're aiming for is to have some pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley. Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 3 T of the water. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Big pieces of butter are fine. Scrape the dough out of the work bowl and onto a work surface. Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. Roll the dough into a large 1/8-inch-thick circle. Using a pastry wheel or a paring knife, trim the dough to a 13-inch diameter. Using a cake pan as a template and the tip of a blunt kitchen knife as a marker, lightly trace a 9-inch circle in the center of the dough - this is the area for the filling.

3. With the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula, spread some of the jam over the circle - how much you use depends on how much jam flavor you want. At least cover the circle enough to get a "seal." Sprinkle over the crumbs, adding a little more than 2 T if you think you've got particularly juicy fruit. Put a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper over the dough and refrigerate it while you prepare the fruit.

4. Peel or blanch the peaches, then halve and pit them. Rinse the raspberries thoroughly and lay on dry paper towels. Gently pat/dab with more paper towels to dry them as much as possible. Arrange the peaches on the dough, cut side down. Sprinkle the raspberries all over, within the 9-inch circle. Gently lift the unfilled border of dough up and onto the fruit. As you lift the dough and place it on the filling, it will pleat. Freeze the crostada for 15 minutes to rest the crust. Heat the oven to 425F.

5. Brush the dough very lightly with a little water, then sprinkle it with coarse sugar. Bake the crostada for 25 minutes, or until the crust is brown and the fruit soft.

6. Meanwhile, make the custard. Whisk together the melted butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in a bowl. When the crostada has baked for 25 minutes, remove it from the oven (leave oven on!) and carefully pour the custard around the fruit. Depending on how much juice has accumulated and how much space you have between the fruit, you may not be able to pour all the custard into the crostada, but even 2 T can give the right effect. Pour in as much custard as you can, then carefully return the pan to the oven.

7. Bake for another 12 to 15 minutes, or until the custard is set - it shouldn't jiggle when you gently shake the pan. Cool the crostada on the baking sheet on a rack for 10 minutes. Carefully slide a small baking sheet or cake lifter under the crostada and slip it onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or room temperature.
*Other fruits you could use: 10 apricots, 8 to 10 nectarines, 8 to 10 firm plums or 2 stalks rhubarb.

Recipe adapted from Baking: From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan

Peach Melba Muffins

I have been doing some seriously good seasonal baking this summer and now I am playing catch-up to get them all posted before summer - and her wonderful flavors! - are gone.

Have you gone peach-picking yet? It is one of my favorite parts of summer, and that is saying something because there aren't many (favorite parts of summer, not peaches. There are lots of peaches.) Biting into one fresh off the tree, hot from the sun and juice running down your chin and elbow. Oh, yes.

Then you take them home and have them for every meal! Peach pancakes! Peaches and cream! Peach slices! Peaches and yogurt! Peach muffins, cake, pie, (hand pies!), peaches with ice cream! Ed is making himself a bowl even as I type. Mmm.So here is one more way you can put a peach in your cake hole. Without checking wiki or something, "Peach Melba" refers to a peach-raspberry dessert made for an Australian celebrity (opera singer?) named Melba. And there is your history lesson for the day. Delicious!
Peach Melba Muffins (print recipe)
1 cup fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened raspberries, unthawed
3/4 cup plus 2 T sugar
1 T berry liqueur, raspberry vinegar, lemon juice or orange juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
6 T unsalted butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 or 2 peaches, about 8 oz. each, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Coarse sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease 12 standard muffin tins or line with paper.

2. In a small bowl, toss the raspberries with 1 T sugar and liqueur/juice. Let stand for 30 minutes. This would be a good time to peel, pit and chop your peaches.

3. In a bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.

4. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, and milk until blended. Stir in the dry ingredients just until evenly moistened, no more than 15-20 strokes. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold in the peaches just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Take care not to break up the fruit. Do not overmix.

5. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it half full. Divide the raspberries among the cups, using about 1 T per muffin (2-3 raspberries), then cover the batter level with the rim of the cup. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 T sugar and the sliced almonds, dividing evenly.

6. Bake until golden, dry and springy to the touch, 25-30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve them warm or at room temperature, with butter.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Muffins

1 year ago: Pecan-Peach Cobbler
2 years ago: Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Peach Hand Pies (and how they taught my kids about Twinkies)

Oh, good heavens. These are everything you would want them to be. I always want to make something good for Dessert Club but for some reason this time I really, really wanted to bring my A game. I pored through cookbooks and websites, choosing, then rejecting, at least ten, maybe fifteen, different summery things. So many things I almost made. But when I thought of hand pies, and then found a recipe on Smitten Kitchen, who I trust without question, my search was over.

Peaches are my favorite summer fruit. So fleeting. So rarely perfect, so like-buttah when they are. So juicy and delightful - they taste and look look like the sun. However, that said, you can make these with any filling. I've only tried peaches, but I'm sure raspberries, blackberries, cherries, blueberries, etc. would all make delightful hand pies. Just adjust sugar to taste and flour to juiciness.

What I'm saying is that the crust is the star and the key of this recipe. As SK says, yes, it is fussy. There is a lot of chilling between steps so make sure you have room for a baking sheet or two in your fridge before starting. And make sure you will be home for several hours! Just so you know. But it goes without saying they they are worth it. Best, best, best.And here's what they have to do with Twinkies. I had looked over the recipe and knew I had everything. Then on the day of Dessert Club I took out the recipe and realized my sour cream was gone. I had cleaned out the fridge the day before and tossed all the sour cream - it wasn't bad but I didn't know how old it was and couldn't think of anything immediate I would need it for (stupid, stupid, stupid!) So it's 1 pm, the baby is sleeping, I'm ready to cook, and I am missing the crucial ingredient. Quick calculations - if she wakes up before 3 and we run to the store for just one thing, I can still have them done by 8:30! So I went about other work (chilling my other crust ingredients), with a stressful eye on the clock.

Baby wakes up, I call to the other girls to get their shoes on. Ginger comes down. "Hazel's asleep." Dang. Hazel sleeps like a rock and is as heavy as one. Baby is crying, hungry. I give Ginger marshmallows and tell her to feed them to Poppy one by one. I shake Hazel frantically, "We gotta go, we gotta go!" Skipping ahead, it was super hard to wake her up - I had to carry her down the stairs and promise treats - "You can pick out ANYTHING you want at the store, we just need to go now!"

On the way there, I rattled off some choices so they wouldn't take forever - "You can get M&M's, popiscles, Twinkies, popcorn, ..."

"Mom, what are Twinkies?"

It is a testament to my desperation that I consciously decided in that moment to actually tell my kids about, and then show them in the store, the entire line of Hostess products. Cupcakes, ho-h0's, Donettes, and yes, Twinkies. I remember Twinkies being the end-all ultimate treat of my childhood. Now I know they are pretty disgusting. And yet, last week on the day of Dessert Club, my three girls and I left the grocery store with sour cream, popsicles and Twinkies. Since then (less than a week), they have asked for Twinkies two more times (luckily we only got a 2-pack and not a whole box.)

That is the position I have put myself in just so YOU can have these pies.

Peach Hand Pies (print recipe)

Makes 14 to 24 (depending on cutter size)

For the pastry:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 ts. salt
16 T (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup ice water

For the filling:
1 1/2 pounds peaches (about 3 medium)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

One egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons water (for egg wash)
Coarse sanding sugar, for decoration

1. To make the pastry, in a bowl or small Ziploc bag, combine the flour and salt. Place the cut-up butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. If preparing ahead of time, the dough can be stored at this point for up to one month in the freezer. This step could also be done in the food processor - pulse until it resembles coarse meal, add liquid and pulse until it comes together slightly, but be very careful to not overwork the dough.

2. Divide the refrigerated dough in half. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one half of the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4-to-5 inch biscuit cutter, cut circles out of the rolled dough. Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. Repeat the rolling, cutting, and chilling process with the remaining half of dough. (I used a 4 1/4-inch cutter and got about 9 circles from each half after rerolling scraps, with a little dough leftover for my dough-munching husband.)

3. Make the filling: Peel and chop the peaches into small bits (approx. 1/2-inch dice), much smaller than you’d use for a regular-sized pie. Mix them with the flour, sugar and pinch of salt, and add the vanilla.

4. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature until just pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon about 1 to 2 tablespoons filling (my 4 1/4-inch circles would only hold 1 tablespoon) onto one half of each circle of dough. Quickly brush a little cold water around the circumference of the dough, and fold it in half so the other side comes down over the filling, creating a semicircle. Seal the hand pie, and make a decorative edge by pressing the edges of the dough together with the back of a fork. Repeat process with remaining dough. Place the hand pies back on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and return to the refrigerator to chill for another 30 minutes.

5. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chilled hand pies from the refrigerator, cut a small slit in each and lightly brush with the egg yolk wash. Sprinkle sanding sugar generously over the pies, and place pies in the oven to bake. Bake until the hand pies are golden brown and just slightly cracked, about 20 to 26 minutes. Remove the pies from the oven, and let stand to cool slightly before serving.Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen (comments in parentheses are mine)

1 year ago: Baked Buttermilk Donuts
2 years ago: Deep Dark Double Chocolate Bread

Peach-Vanilla Cream Pops

I love it when the picture says so much more than I could. Look at that color. That is the color of fresh peaches pureed with cream (and a little Greek yogurt.) And those are the exotic black specks of a real vanilla bean, hand scraped and meticulously added to a simple syrup. These are what I call grown-up popsicles. Not because kids don't like 'em - mine gobbled them up and fought tooth-and-nail over the last one - but because they are fresh and a little unexpected. A perfect cool treat for summer.

Peach-Vanilla Cream Pops (print recipe)
Makes about 8 to 10 popsicles

1/2 cup plus 2 T sugar
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
4 cups sliced peeled ripe peaches (about 4 medium), or 16 oz. frozen sliced peaches, thawed
1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt

1. Place sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add them to the pan; add bean. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Transfer syrup to a small bowl; chill. Discard vanilla bean.

2. Puree syrup and peaches in a food processor until smooth. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium pitcher or pouring liquid measuring cup; strain, pressing on solids to extract about 2 1/4 cups puree. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Divide among molds. Cover; insert ice-pop sticks. Freeze until firm. Dip bottoms of molds into hot water for 20 to 30 seconds to loosen pops. Remove pops from molds and serve.

Recipe from Bon Appetit, June 2011

One year ago: Ranch Hamburger Buns
Two years ago: Coconut Milk Pudding Rolls

Pecan-Peach Cobbler

I made this delectableness with fresh peaches the girls and I picked a few weeks ago. I really wanted to make a yummy peach dessert, and after a disastrous peach pie last year (which I did not post), I tried for a cobbler this time. I chose well.

When I say "I" made this cobbler, that's not exactly what I mean. For behold:Ed made the crust. After he came home from the store with the wrong thing (I said refrigerated pie dough, not frozen pie crusts), he said he would just make the crust. Which was fine with me. I don't make pie crusts. I think they're messy, time-consuming, and never taste that good, which makes them unworthy of my effort. So I buy them. Or in this case, have Ed made them. (By the way, if you think you have a truly outstanding pie crust recipe, send it my way. I would love to have a great one; I'm just not sure it exists.)

The crust plays a crucial role in this recipe because you pack sugar and pecans between layers of dough and that goes in the middle, and then on the top of the cobbler. Delish. And don't be shy about getting that middle crust nice and crisp since it will be sandwiched and surrounded by juicy peaches and syrup. And speaking of that syrup. In step 3 we spooned peaches into the dish with less syrup than in step 1 since the pan was getting full. We poured the leftover syrup into a container, refrigerated it, and had it over Double Coconut Pancakes later in the week. Just one more excellent choice we made that week.

Pecan-Peach Cobbler
15 to 18 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (about 16 cups)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups sugar2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (15-oz.) packages refrigerated piecrusts
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
Sweetened whipped cream
1. Preheat oven to 475°. Stir together peaches, flour, nutmeg, and 3 cups sugar in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Spoon half of mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

2. Unroll 2 piecrusts. Sprinkle 1/4 cup pecans and 2 Tbsp. sugar over 1 piecrust; top with other piecrust. Roll to a 14- x 10-inch rectangle. Trim sides to fit baking dish. Place pastry over peach mixture in dish.
3. Bake at 475° for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Unroll remaining 2 piecrusts. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. sugar and remaining 1/4 cup pecans over 1 piecrust; top with remaining piecrust. Roll into a 12-inch circle. Cut into 1-inch strips, using a fluted pastry wheel. Spoon remaining peach mixture over baked pastry. Arrange pastry strips over peach mixture; sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.Recipe (and last photo) from Southern Living, June 2010

Peach-Blueberry Popover Pancake

I love popovers. They're little crusty/eggy/puffy rolls that are empty in the middle and delicious with butter and any kind of jam. So good. So a popover pancake - just a big giant popover - covered with syrupy peaches and blueberries sounded OK to me.

First of all, it was ridiculously easy. Easier even than regular pancakes because it's just one and cooks by itself in the oven. Second, seasonally friendly because it calls for frozen peaches and frozen blueberries. Of course if it's summer, you can by all means use fresh and it would be even better. But frozen fruit is good and worked well in for me in this recipe.

We had this for dinner so we had some fried ham on the side. Bacon and eggs would be good too. My only complaint was it wasn't quite sweet enough for me, so we drizzled a little maple syrup on to get it right. Blueberry or other flavored syrup would be good, too.

Peach-Blueberry Popover Pancake

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

3 T orange marmalade

3 T butter or margarine

1 T lemon juice

1 (16 oz) package frozen sliced peaches, thawed and drained

1 cup fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed and drained

Drizzle of maple syrup, optional

1. Place a well-greased 12-inch cast-iron skillet in a 425F oven for 5 minutes.

2. Combine first 5 ingredients (eggs through 1/3 cup butter), stirring with a wire wisk until blended.

3. Remove skillet from oven. Pour batter into hot skillet.

4. Bake at 425 for 20 to 25 minutes. (This resembles a giant popover and will fall quickly after removing from oven.)

5. Combine marmalade, 3 T butter and lemon juice in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Add peaches, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon on top of baked pancake. Sprinkle with blueberries. Drizzle with maple syrup if desired.

Recipe from Southern Living, Jan 1996

Peaches and Cream Pie

A couple of the friends we went fruit-picking with last week have been emailing around some good recipes, and this one caught my eye. I suspect it originated from a Cool Whip lid but that is unconfirmed. What is confirmed is that this pie is gooo-oooo-oood.Picture it (you don't really have to since I've done it for you): Pie crust. Sweet cream cheese/Cool Whip layer. Fresh peach/peach puree Jello layer. Chill. Eat. So yum.

This recipe is for 2 large or 3 small pies. I made 2 deep dish pies with just enough cream and syrup leftover for two ramekin-sized parfaits (same as pie minus crust.)

Over dessert last night we also ruminated several variations: a graham/cookie crust perhaps. Strawberries/strawberry puree/strawberry Jello on top instead of peach. A 9x13 rendition with a cookie crust bottom, cut into squares. Mmm, individual pies in those little graham crusts. There are actually a lot of possibilities here.

This pie is definitely my new favorite way to use up fresh peaches.2 frozen (or graham) pie crusts
1 1/2 cups peach puree (I just use canned peaches for this and puree
them with the liquid, but you could use fresh)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup water
1 small pkg lemon jello
8 large peaches, peeled and sliced
8 oz. cream cheese (low-fat is OK)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip (Lite is OK)

1. Thaw and bake pie crusts according to package directions. Allow to cool.

2. Boil sugar and peach puree, then add cornstarch and water. Cook till thickened and then add jello and stir until dissolved. Put into fridge to cool.

3. Cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add Cool Whip and combine well.

4. Put cream mixture in pie shell, then top with sliced fresh peaches. Pour syrup over top and refrigerate until set, a few hours. Repeat for second pie.

Blackberry-Peach Coffee Cake

As you can imagine I've been busting my butt this week to get things baked with my freshly picked fruit. The peach muffins were fabulous. I made a peach bread that was only mediocre. I made freezer jam for the first time - what else, blackberry-peach flavor, and it's sooo good. And my friend Corey's wild berry bread is one of the best things to exist in this world - find it in this post from last year.

Calling this recipe "coffee cake" implies permission to eat it for breakfast, which I did this morning, though it is definitely decadent enough for a sophisticated dessert. Fruity, vanilla-y cake, crunch-spicy topping, and PLENTY of butter throughout - this cake is awesome!

One weird thing - a few minutes after I put it in the oven, I smelled burning. A little was leaking out of the bottom of the springform pan and dropping to the oven floor. The batter was plenty thick so I must have just not had the pan bottom in tight enough. I wrapped the bottom and halfway up the sides tightly in tin foil and it was fine after that.

It's super rich so I will be wrapping up slices for the freezer so we can enjoy it over time - nothing like a wedge of summer for a quick out-the-door breakfast or a slow I've-earned-this dessert.

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups peeled and sliced firm fresh ripe peaches (about 2 to 3)
1 cup fresh blackberries
Powdered sugar
Garnishes: fresh blackberries, sliced peaches

1. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare streusel topping - beat butter at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat just until blended.

2. For cake, beat butter at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into greased and floured 9-inch springform pan; top with sliced peaches and blackberries.
Pinch off 1-inch pieces of streusel topping and drop over fruit.

4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (I was checking every 5 minutes for awhile) until center of cake is set and toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 1/2 hours). Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with fruit, optional.

*For Peach Coffee Cake variation, omit blackberries. Increase peaches to 3 cups sliced. Proceed with recipe as directed.



Recipe from Southern Living, June 2009

Sour Cream Peach Streusel Muffins

Yesterday was our annual peach-and-blackberry-picking trip to Homestead Farm in Maryland. So there has been and will be much peach and blackberry baking. A perfect opportunity to try a slew of new recipes, starting with this one.

Got it from a recipe website called CHOW, which credits their sources - something I really appreciate. So it came from a book called At Home with Magnolia by Allyssa Torey, but I had to tweak it slightly. The streusel topping was ridiculously disproportionate to the muffins so I've halved it here, and it still may be too much. And frankly it didn't have enough peaches for me so I'd add a little more next time, though you don't want to make them too moist.

Anyway, happy breakfast or dessert. Happy peach season!

Streusel Topping
1/2 all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces

Muffins
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 T unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups blanched peeled coarsely chopped ripe peaches (about 2 to 3)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour 12 muffin cups.

2. To make the topping: In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Using pastry blender or fingers, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

3. To make the muffins: In a small bowl whisk or sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

4. In large bowl, cream butter on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the sour cream. Fold in the peaches.

5. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle the topping over the muffins, being sure to keep crumbs within the muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Blackberry and Peach Recipes

You will die. Everything here is wonderful.

Blackberry-Lemon Pudding Cake
"As the dessert bakes, a light, spongy cake forms over a delicate bottom layer of custard."
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large egg yolks
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups blackberries (or blueberries or raspberries)
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl; add buttermilk, lemon rind, lemon juice butter and egg yolks, stirring with a whisk until mixture is smooth.
3. Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into buttermilk mixture. Gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Fold in blackberries.
4. Pour batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Place in a large baking pan filled with water to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm. Makes about 5 servings

Light Peach Ice Cream
3 cups chopped peeled peaches (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a food process or blender puree peaches until smooth. Combine with the other ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Pour mixture into freezer bowl of ice cream machine and process according to machine directions. Pour soft ice cream into an airtight container and freeze in freezer for at least 2 hours.

Wild Berry Bread
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons soft butter, in ½-inch pieces
1 egg
1 tablespoon orange peel
½ cup orange juice
½ cup raspberries*
½ cup blackberries*
1 cup blueberries*
(*You can do any combination of berries as long as you have 2 cups total)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients.
3. Add the soft butter in with your fingertips until it is like flakes of coarse meal.
4. Add the egg, juice, peel and berries; combine but do not over mix.
5. Bake for 1 hour or until done.
Peach-Glazed Barbecue Pork Chops and Peaches
3 cups chopped peeled peaches (about 1½ pounds)
1 cup dry white wine
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
6 (6-ounce) bone-in center cut pork chops (about ½- inch thick), trimmed
6 peaches, halved and pitted

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 min. Uncover and simmer 5 min. Place peach mixture in food processor, process until smooth. Add ¾ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp pepper, vinegar, and next 4 ingredients; pulse to combine. Let stand 5 min. Place half of peach mixture in a large heavy duty ziploc bag; reserve other half for basting. Add chops to bag; seal and refrigerate 30 minutes to 4 hours.
2. Preheat grill. Remove pork from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle pork with ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper. Place pork and peach halves on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 10 min or until the pork is done and the peaches are tender, turning once. Baste pork and peach halves with reserved mixture every 2 minutes during the first 6 minutes of cooking.
Makes 6 servings