Summer’s End and Peach Tarts

By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer’s best of weather And autumn’s best of cheer.   –Helen Hunt Jackson

There is a time in the last few days of summer when the ripeness of autumn fills the air.   –Rudolfo Anaya

 

Hey there– I’m wondering if autumn is rolling in where you are.  It’s just starting to come for us and I’m savoring the September warm (but not too hot!) days and summer fruit still in piles at the market.  This week I picked up a few peaches for tarts.

You can get these pretty tarts in the oven in about 10 minutes–so easy. They’re the perfect light ending that last summer meal.

PEACH TARTS ON PUFF PASTRY
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed*
2 large ripe peaches
4 oz. cream cheese
a few shakes of cinnamon
2- 4  tab. honey
serve with:  ice cream

Cut the puff pastry into 6 squares with a pizza cutter (or a sharp knife).  Lay the squares of pastry onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.

Divide the cream cheese into 6 parts and spread it over the pastry, leaving a 1/2 inch margin around the edges.

Slice the peaches thinly (leave on the skin) and layer them over the cream cheese. Dust the peaches lightly with cinnamon.

Pop them into a 425 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is puffed around the edges and the peaches are tender.

Drizzle honey over the peach tarts and serve them warm with ice cream or whipped cream.  Enjoy!

 

And just want to say Good Bye Summer by collecting these memories all in one spot.  I’ll miss the golden days and good times with family & friends in these long and lzy summer days…

Kicked off summer with Grammy Camp— love reading and creating and laughing with those girls.

     

 

We began the 4th of July with a breakfast & beach walk along with dear friends.
     

 

Family came in fo the weekend to celebrate Nick & Alyssa’s beautiful wedding.

John & Laurel took us in for a great week in Wisconsin— lots of boating, evening walks, good meals and time to talk…

     

 

The Monday night friends rounded up a few times for lunch over our summer break.  Love those beautiful faces.

 

A bunch of family met up rustic little cabins for 5 days of hiking, s’mores and campground meals at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.  Loved having the grand-girls at arm’s length and waking under those glorious trees!

     

 

And finally there were a couple trips up to San Francisco to dote on grand-kids and to welcome new grand-guy, Oscar into the world.

   

Ah Summer, going to miss those long bright days, times with out & about with people we love.  But the joys of Autumn are around the corner.

 “The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last for ever. Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year – the days when summer is changing into autumn – the crickets spread the rumor of sadness and change.”

―E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

 

And P.S.  — here’s a few more favorite peach recipes:
Avocado Chicken with
Chipotle Peach Salsa

 

Fresh Peach Cobbler

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Peach Crostata

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Peaches & Cream Tart

 

 

 

 

  

 

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Peach Pecan Bread

Hey all– I just can’t resist picking over the piles of peaches and nectarines every time I hit the market.  It’s one of the best parts of August (compensation for the heat??!).  We’ve been eating them every day.

Here’s a little loaf I baked, for friends who came to brunch this week.  And I found it it’s even yummier toasted in the toaster oven the next day–sweet and peachy ad crunchy around the edges!

PEACH PECAN BREAD
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 large peaches, peeled, pitted, cut to chunks
2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup whole milk (or half & half)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 to 2 tab. whole milk or half & half

Peel and cut up the peaches.  Set aside.  Chop the pecans.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, milk, oil and eggs.  Then mix in the flour, salt and baking powder.  The batter will be a bit dry.  Then fold in the peaches and pecans until it is thoroughly blended.

Spoon the batter into a standard 9″x5″ loaf pan (or I used two smaller half size pans).  Pop them into a 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted comes out clean.

Let the bread cool 20 minutes (or more) and the whisk together the powdered sugar and milk for the glaze, and drizzle it over the bread.  Slice & eat!!

Fresh Peach Cobbler

Hi there– how’s your summer going??  We’re getting a big dose of summer here with our kids in Wisconsin!  Yesterday afternoon, John grilled steaks while Laurel made salads and I put this peach cobbler in the oven.  Dinner out on their back porch with the fireflies under the towering oak trees–just grand!

But even better– the next morning Laurel & I sat out on that back porch in the sunshine and had leftover peach cobbler for breakfast!  Good start to a good day with L & J!!

FRESH PEACH COBBLER

Peaches:
7 medium ripe peaches
2/3 cup sugar
1 tab. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Cobbler Biscuits:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup + 2 tab. sugar
2 tab. cornmeal
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla

Peel and pit the peaches.  Cut them into nice bite size chunks.

In a 9″ x 13″ baking dish, stir together the peaches, 2/3 cup sugar, cornstarch and 1/4 tsp. salt.  Sprinkle the cinnamon over the top of it all.

To make the biscuits, stir together the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.  Then mix in the buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla until the batter is stiff.

Divide the dough into 8 blobs and drop them on top of the peaches.

Pop the whole thing into the oven at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are browned and the peaches are tender.  Add a scoop of ice cream and enjoy!

*If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, substitute by putting a tablespoon of cider vinegar into the measuring cup and filling up to 1/2 cup.  Let it sit a few minutes to thicken.

 

Peaches & Cream Tart

 

Hi all– OK, OK, just one more peach recipe!!  I’ve had this one on my Pinterest board for months.  It calls for canned peaches (!), but I wanted to try it with fresh summer peaches and now’s the time!

Made it for my Monday ladies who came in the door this week.  And Larry and I split the leftover piece watching the Angel Baseball game on tv–sweet and peachy!!  Hope you still have peaches at the market so you can give it a try!

PEACHES & CREAM TART
1 white cake mix
1/3 cup butter (2/3 stick), room temperature*
2 eggs, divided
3 large yellow peaches
8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. amaretto (or vanilla)**

In a mixing bowl cut together the cake mix, butter and 1 egg with a pastry blender (or 2 forks) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Set aside one cup of the mixture for later.

Take the remaining mixture in the bowl and press it into a 9″x 13″ baking dish (or 12″ tart pan) that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Pop it into a 350 degree oven for just 10 minutes.

While that’s cooking, peel, pit and cut the 3 peaches into 1″ chunks.  When the baked crumb layer comes out of the oven spread the peaches over the top.

With an electric mixer beat together the cream cheese, 1 egg, sugar and amaretto until it is  creamy (just a couple minutes).  Drizzle it over the peaches.

Then take the remaining 1 cup of crumb mixture, that you saved out earlier, and sprinkle it over the top of everything.  Return it to the 350 oven and bake for 30 minutes more until it’s slightly browned on top.  Delicious hot or cooled.

*If your retrieving the butter from the fridge (like me), pop it into the microwave for 8 to 10 seconds to soften to room temperature.
**I used amaretto because I have a big bottle on hand– keep it in place of almond extract because it’s about a tenth the price and lasts forever in the cupboard.  The original recipe called for vanilla.

Peaches, Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella Salad

Hi all– Isn’t August a great eating month??  The tomatoes are ripe and sweet– and peaches, my favorite fruit.  It seems like those peaches are only here for a few weeks ruddy and ripe.  So we’ve been eating both, in just about any form we can get them.

Made up this plate of tomatoes & Peaches with cheese when my siblings came in for Mom’s 86th birthday.  Along with a garlicky grilled tri-tip and a bright green salad and a hearty loaf of bread.  It was a real summer meal.

PEACHES, TOMATO & FRESH MOZZARELLA SALAD

Salad:
2 ripe peaches, pitted & sliced
2 cups ripe cherry tomatoes
2 or 3   4 oz. balls of fresh mozzarella
sprigs of fresh basil
serve with chunks of crusty bread on the side

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tab. tarragon vinegar
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. honey

So simple.  Arrange the peaches, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil on a platter. Whisk together the dressing until well blended.

Pour dressing over it all when you’re ready to eat.  Lovely served with chunks of crusty bread to sop up the dressing.

Peach Crostata

Hello all–  When we first arrived in Wisconsin a couple weeks ago, our dear friends Jac & Jackie trekked down to Madison to meet up for dinner with us at our kids house. It was a sweet time catching up with them, and ended dinner with this fresh peach crostata.  Sweet summer peaches– they make any dessert a celebration!  After supper we walked and talked down along the lake in the coolness of the evening– so thankful for J & J.

PEACH CROSTATA

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick), diced
3-5 tablespoons ice water
a couple more tab. of sugar

Peaches:
5 peaches, peeled, pitted, cut into slices
1 tab. flour
1 tab. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

To  make the crust use a food processor or a pastry blender (Or just 1 forks, if that is what you have on hand!), cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Mix in the ice water, starting with 3 tablespoons and adding more if needed until you have a ball of dough.

Wrap the dough ball in a piece of plastic wrap and set it into the fridge while you prepare the peaches.

Peel, pit and slice the peaches.  In a mixing bowl coat them with the tablespoon of flour, tablespoon of sugar and teaspoon of cinnamon.

Then take the dough from the fridge, roll it on a floured counter with a rolling pin until it makes a 11″-12″ circle.  Set the dough on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil or parchment paper.

Mound the peaches in the middle of the dough and then fold up the edges inward to hold in the peaches.  Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the turned up crust.

Put the crostata into a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes– until the crust is nicely browned.  Serve it up hot, cut into wedges,  with a scoop of ice cream!  A fine summer dessert.

Peachy Tomato Salad with Honey Tarragon Dressing

 

Hi there– I’ve been reading some of my favorite bloggers talking about what’s coming out of their gardens this summer.  Fun to see your kale and summer squash and spicy peppers!  Our humble little garden (besides sprouting lots of weeds!) has produced tomatoes a plenty and nice healthy basil.

So tonight for dinner I wanted to use some of those tomatoes that are piling up in the kitchen!  And here’s the result.  Fresh and bright, colorful and so simple– fine for a summer supper.

PEACHY TOMATO SALAD WITH HONEY TARRAGON DRESSING

Salad:
4 ripe Roma tomatoes
1 large ripe peach
2 -3 tablespoons feta, crumbled
basil sprigs

Dressing:
3 tab. olive oil
2 tab. tarragon vinegar
1 tab. honey
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Cut the tomatoes into wedges and the peach in smallish chunks.  Spread them on a platter and crumble the feta over the top.  Sprinkle on the basil leaves.

For the dressing, combine the oil, vinegar, honey and salt & pepper in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Shake it until the ingredients combine thoroughly.  Pour it over the salad when you are ready to serve it up.

 

Kale Salad with Chicken, Peaches and Pecans

Hello there– We’re enjoying the last hot summer days with salads like this flavorful bowlful.  We liked it so much I made it again when our kids came down this past weekend.  Add a sturdy loaf one whole grain bread and some iced tea.  Set it all out on the backyard table and you’ve got lunch.

KALE SALAD WITH CHICKEN, PEACHES & PECANS

1/2 cup farro, cooked*
4 cups kale, chopped fine**
1 chicken breast, cooked & cubed
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1 ripe peach, pitted and cut to chunks
1/3 cup goat cheese crumbles

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tab. thick Balsamic vinegar
1 tab. honey
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Layer all the salad ingredients into an ample bowl.  Shake the dressing ingredients together in a container with a tight fitting lit until it’s well blended.  Pour on the dressing.  Done.

*The package of farro I bought said simmer in water for 10 minutes– then I rinse it with cold water to cool it for the salad.
**I like the packaged kale from Trader Joes– nice and tender

P.S. The good thing about this salad is that it’s sturdy enough to pour on the dressing and set it into the fridge for a a while while you get everything else on the table and it won’t get soggy.  That’s helpful.  Enjoy!

Peach Dutch Baby

Good morning Sunshine!  There are peaches in a bowl on the counter and eggs in the fridge, so I’m taking a few minutes to pop this Dutch Baby into the oven. I love watching it puff up as it cooks– pretty magical!  And the resulting crispy edges and custardy center with the sweet peaches make these the best kind of breakfast treat.
Add a mug of tea and some sunshine coming in the window.  Just fine.

PEACH DUTCH BABY
2 tab. butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
3 tab. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1 large ripe peach, sliced thin*
powdered sugar for dusting the top

Melt the butter in a cup in the microwave.  Spray a 9″ pie pan (0r tart pan) with cooking spray and then drizzle the melted butter over the the cooking spray in the pan.

Whisk together the eggs, flour, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Carefully drizzle this batter over the butter, trying to keep it from mixing with the butter.  Then lay the peaches over the top and pop it into a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the edges are puffed and brown and the center is custardy and cooked through.

Dust the top with powdered sugar shaken through a sieve and eat it while it’s hot!  (I have a plateful on the table next to me right now while I’m typing this off to you!)

*In January, I would settle for canned peaches.

Peach Pecan Crisp

Hi all– Peaches.  They are the best right now.  We’ve been eating them in everything–in salads, with yogurt, baked for breakfast.  So here is the old apple crisp recipe that I’ve been making for 40 years– minus the apples and filled with juicy ripe peaches.    I hoping you think it’s luscious too.

PEACH PECAN CRISP

topping:
1 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

filling:
2 pounds peaches (4 large), cut into wedges
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

First prepare the topping.  In a mixing bowl stir together the flour, 2/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Then with a pastry blender or a food processor cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sir in the pecans.

Cut the peaches into wedges.  In a large mixing bowl coat them with the 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Spoon the peaches into a 9″ to 10″ baking dish.  Sprinkle the crumbly topping over the peaches.

Put the peach crisp into the oven at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s lovely brown and bubbling around the edges.

Serve it happily with a generous scoop of ice cream.  Summer!

Peach & Faro Spinach Salad

PEACH & FARO SPINACH SALAD
4 oz. baby spinach leaves (about 1/2 bag)
2 ripe yellow peaches
1/2 cup uncooked faro
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup salted almonds, cut in half
1/4 cup feta, crumbled*
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tab. tarragon vinegar (or red wine vinegar)**
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tab. maple syrup

Put the faro in a pot with a little more than 3/4 cup of water and the 1/8 tsp. salt.  Bring it to a boil and cook about 8 minutes.  Pour it into a large sieve and rinse to cool it down.

On a pretty platter, layer the spinach, faro, peaches, almonds and feta.

Whisk together the oil vinegar, slat & pepper and maple syrup until they are thoroughly emulsified.  And pour over the salad when you are ready to set it on the table.

P.S.– We had this all on  it’s own for supper, but if you wanted to make it a little more hearty, add in a cup of cooked, chopped chicken or salmon.

*I like the feta with garlic & herbs, but plain feta is fine.
**Tarragon vinegar has a gaslight sweetness that is nice with the peaches, and I’ve used red wine vinegar as well.  Both are nice.

Peachy Almond Muffins

Oh hi!  We have our 3 grand-girls (along with their parents) with us for a couple weeks.  Yesterday morning Charlotte tumbled into the kitchen early while everyone else was still asleep– so she and I mixed up a batch of peach muffins for breakfast.  She’s a great chopper, measurer and mixer. I really love cooking with those girls.

PEACHY ALMOND MUFFINS
1  1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla or amaretto*
1 large peach, cut to small bits
1/3 cup sliced almonds

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Then mix in the egg, milk, oil and vanilla (or amaretto) just until it’s all blended.  Fold in the cut up peaches.

Spoon the mixture into a muffin tin lined with paper muffin cups.  Then sprinkle the almonds over the tops of the muffins.

Put them in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 23 minutes, just until they are golden and firm to the touch.  Best eaten warm with a slather of butter and a mug of tea.  Add a scrambled egg or two–Breakfast!

*My original muffin recipe called for vanilla– But the amaretto sets off the almonds.  I usually have a bottle on hand– substitute it for almond extract.  Mostly because I’m a bit of a cheapskate– Love that amaretto. It costs so much less per ounce than extract.

Amaretto Peach Up-Side-Down Cake

Hello all–  Summer peaches– they seem to be lingering in the market, along with those plums of all colors, and  ripened nectarines.  And as long as they stay sweet, I’m going to keep baking them into dishes.  I’m hoping for  a little baked peach oatmeal this weekend. And since it’s the weekend, maybe you have a little peach laden baking time as well…

Made this luscious dessert for an evening with friends.  It’s easy (no frosting involved) and fruity sweet with those little flirts of peaches peeking out from inside the sugary cake.  And pecans.  Cake is always better with pecans.  It seems like something a southern grandma would pull out of the oven on a summer afternoon…

AMARETTO PEACH UP-SIDE-DOWN CAKE
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans
2 large peaches, sliced to wedges
3 tab. amaretto
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. amaretto
1 cup buttermilk*
1  1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Melt the butter in a glass 10″ cake pan (or a 9″square pan) in the microwave.  Then stir in the brown sugar is make a paste covering the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle the pecans over the brown sugar mixture and then arrange the peaches to cover the bottom of the baking dish.  Then sprinkle the 3 tab. of amaretto over the peaches.

Using an electric mixture, cream together the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes.  Next beat in the eggs, vanilla and 1 tsp. amaretto.  Then mix in the buttermilk.

Finally beat in the flour, baking powder and salt.

Spoon the batter over the peaches in the baking dish and pop it into the oven at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

When the cake comes out of the oven, invert it onto a heat proof serving platter, scraping any loose caramel or pecan that sticks in the baking dish, onto the cake.

Delicious warm from the oven or cooled– and always better with a scoop of whipped cream of ice cream!

*If you don’t have buttermilk in the fridge, substitute regular milk added to 1 tab. of cider vinegar.  Let it sit 5 minutes to thicken and you set.

 

 

Peachy Avocado Salad

Hello all–  Love this bright salad– wakes up everything else on your dinner plate.  We’ve been throwing peaches in salads a lot lately– seems they’ve been especially sweet and juicy this year.  Those sweet peaches and blueberries are just right against the salty feta and that tangy tarragon dressing–smoothed out with luscious ripe avocado and those nibbles of edamame.  Summer perfect.

PEACHY AVOCADO SALAD
4 cups greens
1 ripe peach, pitted & cut in chunks
1 avocado, pitted & cut in chunks
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup edamame, shelled
1/3 cup herbed feta
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tab. tarragon vinegar
1 tap. sugar
salt & freshly group pepper to taste

In a pretty bowl, layer the greens, peaches, avocado, blueberries, edamame & feta.

Then in a container with a tight fitting lid, shake together the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper.  Pour it over the salad just before you’re ready to eat.  Enjoy!

Peachy Simplest Summer Salad

Hello friends– We are ringing the last sweet days out of summer here.  So when the grand-girls and I passed by a farm stand, we stopped for a basket of summer ripened peaches and they ended up in this simple juicy sweet salad.  Thought you might like it too…

PEACHY SIMPLEST SUMMER SALAD
6 cups of your favorite greens (we like red leaf lettuce)
2 peaches
1 cup blueberries
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tab. tarragon vinegar (or your favorite vinegar)
1 tsp. honey
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Jut layer the greens, peaches and blueberries on a pretty plate.

Then shake the oil, vinegar, sugar, slat & pepper in a container with a tight lid until it’s thoroughly blended.

Pour the dressing over the salad just before you serve it up.   That’s it!  Sweet & simple.

Peach & Blackberry Clafoutis

Hello all–  Peaches.  They are so so sweet and juicy right now and I picked up 3 juicy ample ones at the market.  So Jobay (my 2 1/2 year old assistant in the kitchen) and I mixed up this fruity dessert for after dinner tonight.

I loved all the sweet fruit and warm custard– but the 3 grand-girls were most interested in how to whip cream.  “How do you know how to do that Grandma Rhonda?”  “How does it turn “hard” into whipped cream?”  “Can I hold the mix we too so I can make whipped cream?”…

PEACH & BLACKBERRY CLAFOUTIS
1 1/2 pound yellow peaches
6 oz. blackberries (a little more than a cup)
1 tab. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cream*
powdered sugar to dust the top

Slice the peaches (no need to peel them) into a bowl.  Add the blackberries and stir in the 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Then in another bowl, with an electric mixer beat together the vanilla, eggs, milk, flour, salt, sugar and cream.

Transfer the fruit into a 2 1/2 quart baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Then carefully pour the cream mixture over the top.

Pop it into the oven at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes until the custard is set.  Let it sit at least 5 minutes and then dust with powdered sugar through a sieve.   Spoon it out into bowls and enjoy!

If you have whipping cream left in your carton– whip it up to serve along with the clafoutis–and top with a couple berries.

–and the secret ingredient in whipped cream is to add 1 tsp. of vanilla instant pudding dry mix.  It stabilizes the cream to stay stiff and beautiful until it’s time to serve it up.

P.S.– did you spot the photographer in the bowl of the spoon?

Peaches and Cream Oatmeal

Hey there– My mom can make a sensational peach cobbler–  you now the kind, with those tender-on-the-inside and crunchy-on-the-outside little biscuits floating on top of the spiced peaches.  When I was growing up, when we’d have this for dessert, and the next morning my dad would scoop up a big bowl of it.  He’s remark, “Without the ice cream on top, it’s breakfast!!”   (and, of course, we’d all join in)

Well, here’s my current peachy breakfast (without ice cream!).  It’s in the oven right now.  We have have 7 of our kids/grand-girls soundly sleeping in the house and when they’re up, it will be a peachy breakfast together!

PEACHES AND CREAM OATMEAL
3 plump ripe peaches peeled, pitted & cut into little chunks
2 1/3 cups old fashioned oats
4 cups cream (or whole milk)*
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 rounded tsp. of cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix together all the ingredients and pour them into a 9″x13″ pan that’s been sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake it all up in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.  Serve it up hot with lots of add ons to sprinkle on top—

Here’s some suggestions of things to top off your bowl of peach oatmeal–
a splash more of milk
blueberries
banana
pecans
brown sugar
currants
strawberries
almonds
dried cranberries
granola
black berries raisins
(and if you have 3 grand-girls in your house) sprinkles!

Enjoy it on a sunny summer morning with a table full of family– or all alone with a good book.

*You can use cream, milk, half & half…  I’ve used nonfat milk when that’s what we had on hand.

Peach Pecan Muffins

Hi all– Farewell sweet peaches. They are still in the market this week, but I know they won’t be around for long…  I love these golden juicy fruits and am sad to see them go.  That’s why I’m stuffing them into any possible baking project before it’s time to move on to apples and pumpkin.

These muffins are stuffed with sweet peaches and nutty pecans.  And with the crunchy streusel topping, they are a bit like eating peach cobbler for breakfast (minus the big blob of vanilla ice cream!).  They are that yummy.  Hope you like them too.

PEACH PECAN MUFFINS

Streusel:
4 tab. butter, melted
6 tab. brown sugar
2 tab. white sugar
6 tab. flour

Melt the butter in the microwave.  Stir in the sugars and flour.  Set aside

Muffins:
2 yellow peaches*
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. amaretto
1 cup pecans, chopped

Peel the peaches, take out the pit and chop them to nice little bits.  In a mixing bowl, stir up the egg, milk and oil.  Then mix in the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Lastly fold in the amaretto, pecans and cut peaches.

Spoon the batter into a 12 cup muffin tin lined with paper muffins cups.  With your fingers crumble the streusel mixture over the muffins and pop them in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden and firm to the touch.

*When we moved into our house, we had a white peach tree in the backyard that bore the most flavorless sad peaches.  I think that left me disposed to yellow peaches.  It always seems like yellow peaches are sweeter and peachier!  Crazy, I know.

Almond Peach Shortcake

Hello all–  When we were first married, we lived in my grandmother’s little condo for 6 months, while she was off visiting family.  She had grown up on a farm down south and when I was young, she always had a large yard with chickens and corn stalks and flowers, a concord grape arbor and fruit trees, lots of fruit trees.

So during our stay in the condo, Larry took up a sledge hammer and broke up the concrete in her tiny backyard so she could put in some flowers and a peach tree.  She loved that peach tree, would study the tiny buds and prune down to only the finest peaches.  When she had a crop, she’d wrap those large juicy orbs in paper and bring us a few in a shoe box in the sumer,  golden and ready to eat.

Like Grandma Rose, I do love peaches and we’re enjoying them now, before they disappear from the market until next summer.  Here’s a shortcake we had with friends last weekend.  You could use berries or pears.  But peaches, they’re the best.

PEACH SHORT CAKE
1 1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, cold from the fridge
3/4 cup buttermilk*
2 tsp. amaretto
3/4 cup sliced almonds
6 or 7 juicy, ripe peaches
1 pint whipping cream
2 tsp. powdered sugar
1 tsp. instant vanilla pudding mix**

Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  With a pastry blender (or in a food processor) cut in the cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the buttermilk and amaretto with a spoon.  Drop large spoonfuls of the dough onto a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. It should make 6 to 8 nice size shortcakes.  Sprinkle the almonds onto the shortcakes.  Press them into the dough, cut don’t flatten the shortcakes.  They will spread as they cook.  Bake them at at 425 degrees for 25 minutes until they are just brown around the edges.

While they are cooking, peel and slice the peaches.  If you need to, stir in a couple spoonfuls of sugar to sweeten them and bring out the juices.  Refrigerate the peaches until you are ready to eat them.

With an electric mixer beat together the whipping cream, powdered sugar and pudding mix  for a few minutes until it it thick and stiff.  Slice the shortcakes, spoon on the peaches and cream.  There you have it!–the end of  summer on a plate.

*If you don’t have buttermilk (a common occurrence around here), just substitute regular milk with a tablespoon of cider vinegar
**The instant vanilla pudding mix stabilizes the cream to keep it stiff.

Peach Cobbler Pancakes

Hello there–  I wonder if you’ve run across the t.v. show called “Unique Eats.”  Larry’s t.v. consumption consists mainly of Angel’s baseball games.  But when “Unique Eats” comes on, he’s happy to join in.  It’s a fun one.

The program visits uniquely interesting places to eat around the country– I’m keeping a mental list of the deli in L.A. and the bakery in Brooklyn…  And a few weeks back, they dropped into a brunch place in San Francisco that served peach cobbler pancakes.  These sweet things looked delectable and like something that could happen in my kitchen.  So here’s my best try at these unique early morning pancakes.  They were rather delicious…

PEACH COBBLER PANCAKES

Streusel:
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup flour
3 tab. brown sugar
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

Stir together the oats, four and brown sugar.  With a pastry blender (or food processor) cut in the butter until it form coarse crumbs.

Pancakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tab. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cups buttermilk*
3 tab. canola oil
2 large peaches, pitted, peeled and cut into smallish chunks (Plus more to garnish)

In another bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Then add in the egg, buttermilk and oil.  Heat a your skillet to medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Pour out about 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake.  Top every pancake with a heaping tablespoon of peach bits and then a  heaping tablespoon of streusel.  Cook and flip to cook the streusel side until both sides are a lovely brown.

Serve with more peaches and maple syrup.