Peaches

Last year we got peaches from a fruit truck delivery service, Tree-Ripe Fruit. I drove out to Chaska once, and our friend Donna also picked up a box for us once. When they were ripe we each ate 2 peaches per day. I bought 6 lbs of Michigan blueberries from the same outfit, and while they were good, we decided they weren't better than the blueberries we usually get at Costco.

This year we tired a new company, The Fruit Truck, with dates earlier than Tree-Ripe Fruit. A colleague picked up a 20 lb box for me ($45) in Richfield on May 24. They're not good. We don't know if they were picked too early, or what the issue is, but they have no flavor, and they went from hard to rotting from the inside without a juicy ripe phase. I made the best of it, including turning the last few pounds into freezer jam. On June 21 I did another pick up of a box (25 lbs, $52) from Tree-Ripe Fruit at the Lakeville Fleet Farm- right out of the box these peaches were remarkably good, juicy and ripe. 

Peach Crisp

I made this for watching the Wolves game with Will and Cara. We ate the whole 8" pan.

4 cups sliced fresh peaches (I used 7 peaches)

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup cold butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange sliced peaches in an 8x8-inch baking dish. Mix flour, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl using a pastry cutter until crumbly. Fold in oats. Sprinkle mixture over peaches, pressing down lightly. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

I made a half-batch of this crisp over the campfire in a 6" cast iron pan covered in foil.

Peach Tart

I cut this recipe out of some magazine in my 20s and have been making it periodically since. I'm a big fan of pressing vs rolling pastry.

1/2 c butter, softened

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c white granulated sugar, divided

1 c plus 2 Tbsp flour, divided

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 c blanched almonds

1.5 lb peaches, about 6 med

1/2 pint fresh raspberries

Heat oven to 350. In the bowl of a mixer beat the butter, brown sugar and 1/4 c white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 c flour, cinnamon and salt just until blended. Using your floured fingers, press dough in the bottom and side of a 9" tart pan with removable bottom, extending dough 1/8" above side. Place tart pan on a cookie sheet (it always leaks a bit) and bake 20 min. Meanwhile, grind the almonds in a food processor or blender. Blend with remaining 1/4 c sugar and 2 Tbsp flour and spread in the bottom of the baked tart shell. Peel peaches- using a slotted spoon lower whole peaches into boiling water for 30 seconds, them immerse them in a bowl of cold water, peels will come off easily with a small knife. Halve the peeled peaches removing pits and arrange cut-side down in tart shell. Bake 15 min. When cool, scatter the tart with raspberries and dust with confectioners sugar.

When made with good ripe peaches this is SO MUCH better, as the peach juice soaks into the ground almond base. At the harbor

Small batch skillet peach coffee cake

Made in a 6" diameter cast iron skillet

1 peach, diced

1/4 c sugar (or slightly less)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 c milk 

3/4 c all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

-Crumb Topping-

1.5 Tbsp salted butter, melted

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c all purpose flour

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees. Place peaches in bottom of greased 6" skillet. In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, vanilla, egg, oil, salt and milk. Add flour and baking powder and mix well. Prepare the crumb topping by mixing the melted butter and cinnamon together. Mix in brown sugar and flour until it becomes crumbly. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top of the cake. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

With "cheater" topping, at the harbor

Peach freezer jam

I washed and diced peaches, leaving the peels on. I followed the proportions listed for Ball's Real Fruit Low Sugar Pectin, multiplying the recipe based on the volume of diced peaches (6 cups). I cooked according to the instructions, adding some cardamom, which turned out to be a spectacular add. This was a great way to use the remaining peaches that were getting soft. We enjoyed this on top of waffles at the cabin, and with cornbread at a smoker party for Andy's department at work.

Ready to top waffles

Peach Upside Down Cake

• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 5 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and halved
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in an 8-inch square pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and nutmeg. Arrange peach halves, cut-side down, in pan. (I included cherries from our tree in the peach cavity).

Cream 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup white sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Add extract and cinnamon. Spread cake batter over peaches.

Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on top, 35 to 40 minutes. Loosen cake edges from pan and let stand in pan for about 15 minutes; invert onto serving platter. (I could have let it sit a bit longer before inverting- the cake hadn't solidified fully and broke a bit).

Peeled peaches ready to be topped with batter

Peach upside down cake

Peach coffee cake

8x8 pan

½ cup butter softened

1 cup sugar (I cut to 3/4 c)

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup sour cream (I used greek yogurt)

2 peaches peeled and finely diced into ¼-⅛ inch pieces about 1 cup worth

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom

    Topping:

⅔ cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter melted

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8″ square pan with butter. Beat the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy, about 6-7 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla, mixing just until combined.

Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Place the peaches in a small bowl and sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of the dry ingredients, plus the cinnamon. Stir gently to coat the peaches.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream, mix again, and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix just until combined. Stir in the peaches and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Place the flour and sugar for the topping in the same small bowl that was holding the peaches and add the melted butter. Stir lightly with a fork to combine, leaving plenty of larger pieces. Sprinkle the sugary crumbs over the batter in the pan.

Bake for 44-46 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Let cool before slicing.

Peach coffee cake

Grilled peaches

Sep 2024

Our friend Dawn picked up 20 lb crates of Colorado peaches from the fruit truck for $55 each. These ones are pretty good- not quite as fabulous as the Georgia peaches but still good. I had a single frozen pie crust, so I made Sally's Baking Addiction Peach Crumb pie. The filling in the pie was fine, but the crust was soggy, like paste. Sigh. I have bad luck with pies. Friend Dawn advises I move towards galettes.