Well, it certainly took me a while to get here but this is it, the end of this year’s peach recipes. And, as far as this blogger is concerned, I saved the best for last. You see, I happen to really like peach cobbler. I make them with a batter that rises through the peaches, creating a cake-like top. I make them with a biscuit placed on top and baked.  I eat them as they are, still warm from the oven. I eat them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a large spoonful of whipped cream. And there lies the problem. I eat them. All of them. Every last morsel of every last one of them. There just aren’t many recipes for peach cobbler for one. So, I make a cobbler and for the next week, my snacks and desserts are all servings of peach cobbler.  I know, poor me! Well, this time around, I decided to try something different. I divided the cobbler among 6 smaller dishes and froze all but the one I tested for “quality control”. (Thank you, Tanya.)  See Variations below to see what I did.

Oh, yes. I almost forgot about the cherries. Most will recall that a few weeks ago I shared 2 recipes for a blueberry and cherry pie. The final pie was so good that I’ve been thinking of combining other fruit in other pies. Well, this being peach cobbler season, why not  experiment? Last week at the farmers market, I purchased what would turn out to be the last of the season’s Bing cherries and a plan was born. Upon my return home, Google gave me the recipe.

Today’s cobbler combines Bing cherries with fresh peaches and is crowned by a biscuit, of sorts. There’s nothing complicated about it, though pitting the cherries can be a bit tiresome. Even so, once the fruit is prepared, the rest of the recipe is a snap. And once you taste this cobbler, you won’t remember anything about pitting cherries — unless you wore a white t-shirt. When will I learn?

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This post was written prior to my departure for Michigan and scheduled to post now. The trip went as planned, Zia’s freezer is filled, and we took turns cooking dinner. I hope to have a “vacation” post written by the weekend. Internet service was deplorable and, as a result, it will take me a while to get caught up with all of your posts and comments but I’ll get there. Thanks for your patience.

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Peach and Bing Cherry Cobbler Recipe

Ingredients

• 3½ lbs peaches, peeled and sliced or chopped  (about 6 large peaches)
• 2 lbs Bing cherries, pitted
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 3 tbsp lemon juice

for the biscuit topping

• 2 cups all-purpose (AP) flour
• ⅓ cup plus 2 tbsp sugar, divided
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp whipping cream, divided
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ice cream for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Liberally grease a 9 X 13″ baking dish. Pre-heat oven to 425˚ F (218˚ C)
2. In a large saucepan over high heat, combine peaches, cherries, and sugar. Stir carefully, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1 minute.
3. Remove filling from heat and pour into prepared baking dish.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the AP flour,  ⅓ cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt.
5. Using knives or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until a very coarse mixture results. Stir in ¾ cup whipping cream and knead only enough to create a dough. DO NOT OVER-WORK THE DOUGH.
6. Place dough on a floured surface and roll to a ½ inch thickness. Use cookie or biscuit cutters to cut shapes in the dough. Place the shapes on the filling in any pattern you wish.
7. Combine cinnamon with remaining sugar and whipping cream. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of all the pasty cutouts.
8. Bake in a 425˚ F (218˚ C) pre-heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Filling should be hot and bubbling.
9. Serve warm with optional ice cream.

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Variations

As I mentioned, I used 6 small baking dishes for this recipe rather than 1 large dish. 4 of these dishes each held 500 ml while the other 2 were a little smaller at about 400 ml. I greased and filled each one, using biscuit cutters for the topping. Once they were baked and cooled completely, I wrapped each in plastic wrap before sealing them again in aluminum foil. They were placed on a baking sheet and frozen. To serve, remove the plastic wrap and recover using the foil before placing it in an oven pre-heated to 350˚F (177˚C). After 30 minutes, remove foil and continue heating until filling is bubbly, about another 15 minutes. Cooking time will depend upon size/amount frozen.

I think next year I’m going to try this recipe using tart cherries instead of Bing and with a little almond extract in the biscuit instead of the cinnamon. It’s not that there is anything wrong with this cobbler, I just happen to prefer tart cherries and want to see if they’d be at least as good.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

Peaches are all but gone from our farmers markets and though a few berries, plums, and pears remain, apples have started to take over the vendors’ stalls. It’s the time of year for apple pies, muffins, crumbles, and sauce. If you choose your apples wisely, your pie will be as tart, and your apple sauce as sweet, as you like.  As proof of the latter, last year I shared a recipe for apple sauce that does not call for any sugar whatsoever. You can see the recipe by clicking HERE.

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And another thing or three …

Aside from the recipes I’ve posted, the Kitchens have been busy trying out recipes from two great blogs. Thanks to David, The Gastronomic Gardener, I have jars of brandied figs and 2 kinds of pickled peppers on my shelf. And thanks to Richard, REMCooks, my tasters and I all have jars of  peach preserves with jalapeños and cardamom. Both guys have great blogs and I hope you take some time to check them out.

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Yes, I know it’s getting a little late for ice cream recipes and peaches are all but gone from the farmers markets, but I just couldn’t let this one sit around until next year. My previous peach ice cream used sour cream for its base. Today’s recipe uses custard for a base but it, also, uses peach nectar for added flavor.  That peach nectar also affects the ice cream’s texture. One of my tasters said it was like a cross between sorbet and ice cream. Despite its great taste, though, you may prefer a more traditional, custard only, ice cream. Lucky for us all, Betsy has already shared her recipe for peach ice cream on her blog, Bits & Breadcrumbs. (Do take a few minutes to check out both her recipe and her blog. You won’t be disappointed.)  So, you now have 3 peach ice creams from which to choose but if you think I’m done with peaches, you’d be mistaken. Next week I’ll share a recipe for peach cobbler, with a twist.

This ice cream will have a better “mouth feel” if you fully purée the peaches.  Although you can process the peaches until merely chunky, I find it better if they are puréed until completely smooth. This recipe will make 3 quarts of ice cream. That’s quite a bit if you’ve a smaller machine like mine. The saving grace of my machine is that I purchased it on Amazon during a sale in which I received an additional freezing canister for free. That additional canister means that I can get all 3 quarts made and put away in one night. To see how it’s done, be sure to check out the Notes section below.

Now, I’m already in Michigan, where Zia and I have plans to stock her freezer with ravioli and sausage, that is if we can keep Max occupied elsewhere. So, I’ll keep the posts for today and next week on the short side. Given the sorry state of that area’s internet coverage, I hope you’ll understand if I’m not quick to respond to your comments or to leave a remark on your blogs.

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Peach Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups peeled and chopped peaches (about 3 lbs or 6 large peaches)
• 1 cup nectar
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 cups milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• sliced fresh peaches and toasted pecans for garnish (optional but strongly advised)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine peaches, sugar, and nectar. Mix thoroughly.
2. Working in batches, use a food processor or blender to fully purée the peach mixture until smooth. Refrigerate.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and milk until fully blended. Add the egg mixture to a heavy-bottomed pan or double boiler (my favorite). Heat over a med-high heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and a custard forms, about 20 to 25 minutes. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.
4. Once thick enough to coat the back of a wooden smooth, remove from heat and pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer into the reserved peach purée. Add the half-and-half, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt, whisking until fully combined.
5. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
6. Make your ice cream using this peach custard and following your machine’s instructions. Place in freezer until frozen to your liking.
7. When ready to serve, garnish with sliced peaches and toasted pecans. (See Variations)

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Variations

This is a good ice cream recipe but it is so much better when served with sliced fresh peaches and toasted pecans. To prepare the peaches, just peel and slice a ripe peach, putting the slices in a resealable container. Sprinkle a little sugar on top, seal the container, and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, giving the fruit a chance to macerate. In the meantime, toast the pecan chips in a small frying pan over medium heat. Be attentive or they’ll burn before you know it. Add a little of both to your ice cream cup for a dessert that is just about perfect.

Notes

As I’ve mentioned, this recipe will make enough peach custard to make 3 quarts of ice cream. That is 2 quarts too many for a single machine like mine and even though I’ve got a 2nd canister, that still leaves me with one quart of custard too many. Since it takes a full 24 hours to freeze my canister, this recipe could stretch out over 2 days, at least. Here’s what I do to get around the problem.

Once the custard is chilled and ready to be put into the machine, I put it into the canister and refrigerate the excess.  When it’s ready, after about 25 minutes, I quickly dump the newly formed ice cream into a container, place it in the freezer,  and quickly refill the canister with more custard. If there’s leftover ice cream in the canister, all the better. After 25 minutes, I will not have ice cream but I will have a thicker, chilled custard.  I then pour this custard into the unused frozen canister, which I’ve kept in the freezer until now. No need to let the machine process for all the 25 minutes, 15 minutes will do. Quickly remove the ice cream, use it to fill another quart container, and place it in the freezer. I then pour the remainder of the custard into the same canister and let her rip! Surprisingly, after about 30 minutes, I’ll have another quart of ice cream ready to be frozen. And what do I do with 3 quarts of ice cream? I give 2 quarts to my tasters and keep one for me.

Adapted from Southern Living, July 2005

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

Well, with today’s recipe being an ice cream, what better recipe to pull from the past than the one for pickles, Bread & Butter Pickles? These are not preserved but are kept in the refrigerator, where they will keep for weeks. You needn’t worry about that, though. These pickles will disappear long before freshness is an issue. You can read the recipe by clicking HERE.

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The parting shot …

For the past 13 weeks, I’ve ended each blog entry with a photo. Well, I’ve no more roses to share but I didn’t think it right to abruptly stop the practice. So, I give you this last photo and, although this may have nothing to do with roses, it is, in its own way, every bit as memorable. With thanks to Chris.

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