Peach Melba Crumbles

Its fresh fruit season here and I'm having fun in the kitchen.  These lovely 4 treats are a peach  melba crumble I came up with for  a whine and cheese party.  I used fresh peaches and raspberries as both are in season and cheap right now.

Skinning a peach isn't a problem First it has to be a ripe peach, one that smells intensely peachy and gives a little with a gentle squeeze.  You need a pot of boiling water and a bowl with ice water.  Simply drop a peach in the boiling water, turn it so it is evenly covered and boil for a minute and a half. Fish it out with a slotted spoon and slip it into the ice water for a couple of minutes.  The skin will simply slip right off.

Peach Melba Crumble

• 4 large peaches skinned and sliced
• 8 oz raspberries
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 3 T corn starch
• pinch of salt
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Crumble
• 1 stick of butter - chilled and cubed
• 3/4 c rolled oats
• 1/2 c flour
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 sliced almonds

Toss the sliced peaches with raspberries brown sugar, corn starch, lemon zest, juice and pinch of salt.  Set aside.

In food processor with a dough blade combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar and salt.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Add chilled butter cubes and pulse several times until it resembles a crumbly dough. Toss in almonds with a fork.  Divide crumble into 2 portions.

Take 4, 12 oz ramekins and divide one half of the crumble equally into the bottom of each ramekin.  Tap lightly to compact.  Divide fruit mixture evenly between the 4 ramekins. Sprinkle the remaining crumble over the fruit.  

Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in 400f oven 50-60 minutes until bubbly and topping is well browned.  Serve warm with whipped cream and raspberry sauce.

Stupid Easy Peach Cobbler...the Video

Its my first official video...appeared on the Snacky Shack, a youtube channel that takes artists, their food and shares it with their audience. It is run by two really cool guys here in Monrovia (suburban LA), artist Joseph R Davis and musician Tommy "Mac" MacCarthy.

The recipe that I did for the show was my Stupid Easy Peach Cobbler which I have blogged here in the past. To save you the look up here it is again.

The homemade vanilla extract in the video is stupid easy to do as well. Take a small jar and fill it with 1 c brandy or bourbon. Take two vanilla pods and split them lengthwise then cut in half to fit into the jar. Let it sit a couple of weeks and voila...your own homemade vanilla.

Stupid Easy Peach Cobbler

• 1 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t baking powder
• 1 egg
• 2 15 oz cans sliced peaches
• 1 t vanilla extract
• cinnamon
• 1/2 c butter (1 stick I use unsalted)

In mixer with whisk attachment add the flour, sugar, salt and . Crack egg into a small dish and beat lightly to break yolk. Add egg to dry ingredients and whiz in the mixer at medium speed until it resembles sand.

Drain 1 can of peaches and add to 8X8 baking dish. Add the contents of the entire can of remaining peaches. Stir in vanilla. Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste. Sprinkle the flour mixture evenly over the top of the peaches. Do not stir to blend.

Melt butter and drizzle over the topping mixture. Bake in 375 oven until topping is browned and starting to crisp up...approx 55-65 minutes.

Individual Peach Crisps

Sometimes I know instinctively what to do when someone says "bring dessert for brunch" other times I agonize not knowing what to bring. Its fresh fruit season so it made sense to do something seasonal and simple since it is summer. I thought about it for a few days and then inspiration wishes from a friend told me what to do. Take the bounty of fresh peaches at the farmers market and turn them into "Individual Peach Crisps". Hence this recipe idea was born.

You'll note I have the individual crisps on a baking sheet to catch any potential boil over and spare myself some oven cleaning. I highly recommend you do the same.

Individual Peach Crisp

Ingredients:

3 pounds fresh peaches, peeled, pitted

2 T corn starch

1/2 c sugar

2/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1/3 c old fashioned oats

1 cup brown sugar lightly packed

1/2 teaspoon salt - divided

1 teaspoon cinnamon - divided

1/2 cup soft unsalted butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place slice peeled, pitted peaches into mixing bowl. Add sugar, corn starch, 1/4 t salt, 1/2 t cinnamon. Toss until well coated. Put aside while mixing topping.

Mix together the flour, oat meal, brown sugar, 1/4 t salt and and 1/2 t cinnamon into a medium bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Divide peaches among 8 ramekins. Divide topping and sprinkle crumbs evenly over peaches. Place ramekins on a baking sheet to catch boil over.Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes, until topping is golden brown and peaches are tender. Serve peach crisp warm with cream or whipped topping.

Seriously, try to divide your peaches evenly as possible. You certainly don't want your guests to suffer dessert envy now do we?

Peach Pie means summer

Growing up for a time in MO I learned that super sweet southern peaches were the best ever for making pies. I still miss those pies and break down once a year and make a peach pie with those supermarket peaches. It isn't quite the same as a fresh from your own tree peach pie but it will do quite nicely.

I don't have a pasty hand. I just don't. More dough has been tossed than used over the years. When Pillsbury came out with the already pie crust you just unroll I was in pie making heaven. Though not exactly cheap it is about as good a crust as I could make from scratch. (When you factor in the flop ratio its probably as cheap as trying to make my own).

To allow for juices I've learned not to overpack a pie with the fruit going not much more than an inch over the top of the pie plate. And notice how perfectly shaped that pastry is, nothing says lovin' from the oven like Pillsbury baby!

Cutting a shallow "X" in the bottom of each peach prior to the blanching makes it easier for the skin to slip off. Blanch 2-3 minutes in simmering water then toss into an ice bath to cool them enough to handle and help the skins loosen.

Peach Pie

Pastry for 2 crust 9" pie

5-6 cups sliced peaches (about 9 medium)

1/2 c sugar

2 T corn starch

juice of one lemon

1/8 t almond extract

cinnamon to taste

half and half

Raw sugar (turbinado)

Preheat oven to 425F. In large mixing bowl put in peaches and sprinkle with the juice of one lemon. Add almond extract. Sprinkle on corn starch and toss lightly to combine so as to not bruise the peaches.

Line bottom of pie plate with one pastry round. Add fruit. Add top pastry, fold edges under to seal. Brush top with half-and-half and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake 60-65 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top. Cover edges of pie with aluminum foil last 20 minutes if need to prevent over-browning.

Peach Cobbler

A quick stand by dessert is something you need in your kitchen arsenal. Something for those impromptu get-togethers to satisfy the sweet tooth and let your guests know you enjoy their company kind to treat. This peach cobbler is mine. Been making it since high school which suffice to say will date it back to the last century.

It is simple and if you use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer it falls into the "stupid easy" category which is what I am all about. I could also make this a dedication to Paula Deen or Ina Garten as both start more than a few desserts with "a stick of butter".

Peach Cobbler

1 C Flour

1 C Sugar

1/2 C Butter (1 stick) - melted

1/4 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1 large egg

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla

2 14.5 oz cans peaches

Preheat oven to 350F.

Drain 1 can peaches and add to an 8"X8" baking dish. Add the other can of peaches with their liquid to the baking dish. (2 cans of juice is way too much). Add vanilla and stir to mix in. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon over the peaches.

In mixing bowl add flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. Toss to combine. Add slightly beaten egg and with whisk attachment mix on medium 1-2 minutes until the egg is combined and the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Sprinkle topping mixture evenly over the peaches. Pour melted butter over the topping mix. Bake for 55-70 minutes until topping is deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes, serve warm.

I tend to be a little generous with the cinnamon, you can too at this point in the recipe.
Not much left after 4 people jumped in and started shoveling.