Peach Dumplings dessert a delicious reminder of upcoming garden season

The peach season is so near at hand, I couldn’t resist jumping the gun. Besides our “faithful four”—the four trees that are the regular peach producers in our garden—we have two new peach trees this year. They popped up from random seeds in the oddest places: one in a gravel walkway near our greenhouse and another near our back fence, far from our orchard area. Can’t wait to see what they do.

We have a few weeks to go before those green knobs that are showing up among the bushy leaves begin to yield yummy, cook-worthy fruit. But I saw a peach recipe I had to try, so I used a package of frozen ones and imagined what life will be like a few weeks hence when fresh peaches are piled high in our garden baskets.

Peach Dumplings was an easy recipe because it relied on packaged refrigerated piecrusts, rolled out and cut into 4-inch circles. Into each “bundle” went peach slices; the bundle edges were gathered around the peaches and pinched to seal. With the peach packets lined up in a 11-inch-by-7-inch glass baking dish, a syrup of sugar, melted butter, ground cinnamon, and water was poured over.

The recipe says you can substitute canned or fresh biscuits for the piecrust rounds. This was a great little dessert that assembled quickly and held a terrific promise of one of my favorite times of year—peach season.

Peach Dumplings

1 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts

1 (20-ounce) package frozen sliced peaches, thawed and divided, or 4 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll piecrusts on a lightly floured surface. Roll each into a 10-inch circle. Cut 5 (4-inch) circles from each crust. Roll each circle into an approximately 5 1/2-inch circle. Coarsely chop 2 cups peach slices. Divide chopped peaches among dough. Place fruit in center of each circle (about 1/4 cup per circle). Pull dough edges over peaches and gather in center. Pinch to seal and form a bundle. Place in a lightly greased 11-inch-by-7-inch baking dish. Arrange remaining peaches around bundles. Stir together sugar, next 2 ingredients, an 1/2 cup water until blended. Pour over bundles and peaches. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown; cool 10 minutes. Makes 10 servings. Can be served with sugar-free whipped topping. (Source: Southern Living, February 2013)

Mission accomplished—homemade peach ice cream churned and consumed!

Summer was clicking along, and no rite-of-passage homemade peach ice cream had slipped over our tastebuds yet. A travesty.

All those peaches—we had been drowning in them, as this blog has reported. All those recipes for peach endeavors, but no homemade peach ice cream had been churned and enjoyed. With this omission, how could we still be living and breathing?

Aha, a loved one to the rescue! During our recent trip to Colorado (and may I say cool Colorado! At the risk of being lynched by some charbroiled Texans and Midwesterners right now, for three straight mornings we woke up to 44-degree mountain temps) a family gathering solved this dilemma. My sister, Cathy, produced some of the finest homemade peach ice cream that Hubby and I have ever experienced. Cathy was kind enough to copy down her recipe and send it home with me.

Quickly, back in Texas, we had to stir up some of our own. Wish I could say it permanently soothed the byproducts of our murderous heat, but for a few brain-freeze minutes it definitely eased the pain.

I liked this recipe because it called mostly for sugar substitute (I used Splenda-brand sweetener) and because it didn’t require the mixture to chill in the fridge for several hours before you churn it. Immediately after I blended all the ingredients, it headed straight for the electric ice-cream freezer to do its work. Perfection resulted!

OK, summer, you can head out of town now (and take your broil-setting with you). Homemade peach ice cream consumed!

Cathy’s Peach Ice Cream

1 quart chopped and mashed fresh peaches

1/4 cup sugar substitute

1 quart half and half

3 eggs (I used 3/4 cup egg substitute)

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup sugar substitute

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute) 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pint whipping cream

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

In a medium mixing bowl mix mashed peaches and 1/4 cup sugar substitute. Set aside. In a small saucepan scald half and half. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, 1/3 cup sugar substitute, sugar, salt, vanilla, and whipping cream. Add half and half and mashed peaches. Pour into canister of ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Makes 8 servings.

Good dish of Peach Cobbler cures all ills, even the wipe-out feeling of returning from a holiday weekend

Another peach tree—number four in our garden—has surrendered its yield—a guarantee that in the near future more peach recipes are sure to find their way into this blog. Today’s is a tried-and-true love that every summer I yearn to put on the table—a very simple but wonderful Peach Cobbler. If you want to cut to the chase and get a peach dessert whipped up lightning-fast, here’s your ticket.

This recipe is courtesy www.pickyourown.com and is so easy, I could make it in my sleep (and just about did. Why is the first work day after returning from a holiday always such a wipe-out?) But a good steamy dish of peach cobbler cures all ills!

Peach Cobbler

3 pounds fresh ripe peaches, sliced (about 6 cups when peaches are sliced)

1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into tiny pieces

Topping

1 cup all-purpose four

1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 teaspoon baking power

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

4 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs slightly beaten (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)

Put into a large bowl fresh peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 1/4 cup water. With a wooden spoon mix peach mixture gently and then transfer to an 8-inch-by-8-inch-by-2-inch baking dish. Dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To prepare topping, in a small bowl put 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoons softened butter, and eggs. With a wooden spoon beat until topping is smooth. With back of spoon spread topping over peach filling. Try to space topping evenly. Place cobbler on center rack in preheated oven. Bake for 50 minutes or until peaches are tender and the crust is a light golden brown. Remove from oven to wire rack and let stand for about 30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

A yummy, fruity topping for waffles: Peach Waffle Syrup

Earlier I promised a separate blog entry about the yummy Peach Waffle Syrup we used to top our Peach Waffles of recent mention. You can believe me when I say that this chunky syrup was just about the best thing I’ve ever poured onto a waffle. On our Peach Waffles earlier, regular sugar-free maple syrup did them up proud, but when I made this smooth, fruity topping for the waffles the following day . . . pure bliss!

I found the Peach Waffle Syrup recipe on www.tasteofhome.com

Of course anything associated with Taste of Home magazine just has to be good. The cook who provided the recipe said it was a Saturday-morning favorite in her home because on weekend mornings she had extra time to put it together.

The recipe calls for 20 ounces of peach slices, so I peeled and sliced enough of our fresh peaches to fill 2 1/2 cups. Before I put the peaches into the saucepan for cooking, I let them sit for a few minutes in a food-strainer basket so they would be drained of extra juice. Then into the large saucepan went the peaches, water, sifted powdered sugar, and cinnamon. After all this boiled, I added a cornstarch/water mixture and stirred until the sauce became thick.

This made enough for 14 servings—way more than Hubby and I could pour over a week of waffles, so I plan to freeze a portion of it and save for some of the mornings of the July 4 weekend. On this June 16th day, if you’re thinking that the summer is slipping away from you too fast, get busy with this essence-of-summer dish so you can savor, savor, savor these delicious summer days.

Peach Waffle Syrup

20 ounces peach slices, drained of extra juice

2 cups water

powdered sugar that has been sifted to measure 2/3 cup

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

In a large saucepan combine the peaches, water, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir often. In a separate bowl combine the cornstarch and cold water until mixture is smooth; gradually add it to the peach mixture in the saucepan. Bring entire mixture to a boil; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until thickened. Yield: about 3 1/2 cups or 14 servings.

No better way than these Peach Waffles to launch a busy weekend

If a better way is out there to kick off a summer weekend morning, I don’t know what it is. Peach Waffles encapsulate all that’s wonderful about the season. Fresh mini-chunks of peaches are folded into a fluffy waffle batter. The batter is cooked to a golden brown and then flipped onto a plate, where sugar-free maple syrup and (later) Peach Syrup (see a future blog) await.

Although I have some standby fave peach recipes, one of my goals for this peach season is to try some new peach delicacies. Peach Waffles was on that list. Fortunately in an Internet search I located one quickly—at mrbreakfast.com, by a blogger who perfects the art of preparing breakfasts and whose blog features nothing but absolutely terrific recipes for that first meal of the day.

We’re still hauling in by the bucketloads fresh peaches off our trees, so this weekend we staged a peach cook-a-thon. Did I even put a dent in the peach supply by preparing this and other recipes? Not hardly. In my future I see the packing of peaches to freeze as well as pulling down the canning jars and dusting off the peach jam recipe to put lots of these fresh-plucked jewels away for other days.

Whew! What a cook-a-thon weekend it was. Glad I had these waffles on Saturday morning to fortify me; they were good to the last peachy bite.

Peach Waffles

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

2 large eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 cup milk (we use skim)

1 1/2 cups sliced peaches, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

In a large metal or glass bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and beat until everything is well-mixed. In a separate bowl sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture along with the milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix well. Fold in the peach pieces. Bake in a well-greased waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve with your favorite syrup and with fresh peach slices on top. Makes 6 servings.

Sausage and Peach Breakfast Casserole—outstanding!

Breakfast for dinner—don’t you just love it? Occasionally serving up breakfast food at the time normally reserved for a “meat-and-potatoes” meal just mellows out the evening like nothing else can. A day can be rough-charging like gangbusters toward a climactic end; then, put a little pancake syrup (sugar-free, of course) on the table—all becomes right with the world.

Have I got your wheels spinning? Then follow with Sausage and Peach Breakfast Casserole. Still hunting for ways to use my bucketfuls of fresh peaches from our exuberant 2011 crop, I did an Internet search for breakfast casseroles using peaches and turned up this jewel of an idea. www.food.com sprang forth with this easy goodie that I stirred up for an evening meal.

Only one warning: as with many breakfast casseroles, it works best if prepared the night before, baked a smidgen, and refrigerated, with cooking completed just before you serve. The crowning glory of this dish is the quick homemade peach/maple syrup that tops it. You just can’t imagine anything better. The fresh peaches were all-stars in this stunning breakfast dish that made its debut in the p.m.—terrific anytime!

Sausage and Peach Breakfast Casserole

2 cups package baking mix (I tried with lowfat Bisquick)

1 cup fat-free milk

1 (16-ounce) package brown-and-serve sausages (I used turkey sausage)

2 cups peaches that have been peeled and chopped

1/4 cup sugar (I used sugar substitute)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup

1 tablespoon butter

In a large bowl stir together baking mix and milk. Turn into a greased 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish. In a small bowl place peeled peaches that have been chopped. Use a potato masher to mash the chopped peaches until about 1/4 to 1/2 cup juice is released from them. Drain peaches; set juice aside. Halve the sausages crosswise. Arrange the sausages and peaches on top of batter in this fashion: a layer of sausages, a layer of peaches, a layer of sausages, a layer of peaches. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool for 15 minutes or so; cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next day, about 20 minutes before you plan to serve, heat oven to 350 degrees and cook casserole for 20 minutes. Prepare warm syrup as follows: In a medium saucepan whisk together sugar and cornstarch until no lumps remain. Turn heat to medium high; add the reserved peach juice; cook mixture until thick and bubbly. Stir in maple syrup and butter. Serve warm over the casserole. Makes 6-8 servings.