Peach Cream Tart

I first made this tart in 1987 from a cookbook called Savannah Collection that I had bought on a recent trip to Georgia.  In my binder, I have it rated “excellent”.

PEACH CREAM TART
Butter Crust:

• 1-¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup cold butter, cut in small cubes
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream

Peach Filling:

• 6 medium size ripe peaches
• 3 large egg yolks
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1/8 tsp. almond extract
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 410 degrees F
You will need a 9-inch tart pan (9 inches across the bottom, 10 inches across the top) with removable sides, ungreased.

To make the crust:

In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt.  Add butter cubes and with your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until it is evenly distributed.

Add the sour cream and work it into the dough with your fingertips until blended.

Roll out crust on a lightly floured board.

Place in pan and press into place.

Blind-bake the crust by placing parchment paper or foil on top of the crust and filling with a pound of dry beans.  I put the beans in a jar and use the same ones over and over for blind-baking.  Don’t cook the beans as a vegetable after baking this way.

Bake @ 410 degrees F for 10 minutes, remove parchment paper and beans, and continue baking for another 5 minutes.  Remove to a rack while preparing filling.  Crust should be set but not brown.

REDUCE OVEN HEAT TO 350 DEGREES F

To make the filling:

Peel peaches.  To remove peel easily, drop the peaches into very hot water and allow to stand for 1-2 minutes.  Remove and allow to drain and cool.  The peel will slip off easily.  Remove pits and cut in ½ inch thick slices.  Arrange slices in circle on top of crust,  and then make a second layer of peaches.

Combine egg yolks, sour cream, almond extract, sugar and flour and whisk until smooth.  Pour yolk mixture over peaches.

Bake @ 350 degrees F until set and pale golden color – about 1 hour.  Cover with loose foil tent if color gets too dark.  Cool on wire rack.

While still warm, glaze with the following:

• ½ cup peach jam (I used my homemade Missouri Peach Preserves)
• 1 Tblsp. Water

Heat the jam and water in a small saucepan until mixture begins to boil.  Strain to remove any large pieces of fruit.

Brush glaze while still warm on top of warm tart.

Allow tart to cool on rack.  Remove sidewall of pan.

Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.

Serves 8

Here are some more good recipes using peaches:
Fresh Fruit Kuchen
Banana Peach Bars
Fresh Peach Clafouti

Celebration Peach Cobbler

Peach Lasagne

Missouri Peach Preserves

My Fresh Peach Pie

Fresh Peach Crumble Pie

Prize-Winning Blueberry Peach Pie

Fresh Peach Muffins

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My Fresh Peach Pie

I first made this pie in 1987 for the Ohio State Fair and it won 3rd place.  I call it My Fresh Peach Pie because at the time I used what I thought would make a good pie and later found it’s pretty much the basic recipe.  With ripe peaches from the local farm market, it’s simply delicious.

MY FRESH PEACH PIE

• 5 cups sliced peaches (6-7 medium peaches, peeled and pitted)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. almond extract
• Pastry for 9 inch two-crust pie (Here’s my favorite recipe)
• 1 Tblsp. butter
• 1 tsp. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

To peel peaches easily and without waste, drop them into very hot water and let stand for about one minute.  Remove from water and let drain and cool for 5 minutes.  The skin will slide right off.

Peel peaches, remove pits and slice in ½ inch slices.

Place peach slices in a large bowl and add sugar, flour, salt and almond extract.  Let stand for 10 minutes or while preparing crust.

Place the crust in a 9 inch pie plate and fill with the peach mixture.  Dot with butter …

…and place top crust over filling.  Seal and crimp edges, brush with milk and cut small vents in top crust.

Place on a large flat pan to catch spills and bake @ 375 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Servings:  6 to 8

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Fresh Peach Clafouti

I was looking for a supper dessert to use up some fresh peaches.  I wanted something that wasn’t too rich or too sweet and lighter than a pie or cobbler.  This recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook fit the bill perfectly.  It’s like peaches in a baked custard.  I had enough for supper, for the next day’s lunch and some to send to my youngest daughter.

PEACH CLAFOUTI

• 3-4 cups of sliced fresh peaches
• 1 cup whole milk (or light cream)
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Generously butter a deep-dish 9″ pie plate or a quiche pan.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Place sliced peaches in the buttered pan.

Put milk, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and salt in a blender; blend until smooth and creamy.

Add melted butter and blend.  Pour this mixture over the peaches.

Bake in a 375°F degree oven for 45 minutes or until Clafouti is puffed up and golden.  Place on a wire rack to cool.

The Clafouti will collapse as it cools.  This is best when it is slightly warm but also good at room temperature.  Makes 6 servings.

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Celebration Peach Cobbler

This recipe comes from two sources – the fruit portion is from a Crisco flyer, American Pie Celebration, and the cobbler topping is my favorite from Farm Journal’s Complete Pie Cookbook.  The Farm Journal stresses dropping the cobbler dough onto piping hot fruit.

CELEBRATION PEACH COBBLER

Fruit Mixture

• 4 cups sliced fresh peaches
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 T cornstarch
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg

Cobbler Topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1-½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
• ½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Have a 9-inch square baking pan or 2-quart baking dish at hand.

To Make Fruit Mixture:
In a large saucepan, combine peaches, sugar, water and cornstarch.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring constantly for one minute.  Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg.  Pour into a 9-inch square baking dish or a 2-quart baking dish.

To Make Cobbler Topping:
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Blend in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Stir in the milk to make a soft dough.

Drop tablespoons of cobbler topping over surface of piping hot fruit mixture.

Bake @ 400 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

6 servings.  Serve in bowls with cobbler juices.

This is a wonderful cobbler served warm.  I try to time it so it’s coming from the oven  to  cool for 20 minutes or so while we’re eating dinner.  It’s a lovely dessert  plain or topped with a little cream or whipped topping.

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Blueberry Peach Puffs

This recipe is a combination of several ideas.  I wanted to make a fruit-filled puff that would be a little more calorie-conscious than the cream-filled type.  The pate a choux pastry is not difficult, but allow time to cool for about 30 minutes at two different points.  The puffs can be made in advance and frozen or stored at room temperature for several days.  Before using, crisp them by putting the puffs (thawed if frozen) on a baking sheet and placing in a cold oven.  Turn the oven on to heat to 350 degrees F.  When it reaches that point, turn the oven off and remove the puffs to a rack to cool.  When cool, fill with desired filling.

BLUEBERRY PEACH PUFFS

Cream Puff Batter:

• 1/4 cup butter, cut in small pieces
• ½ cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ½ Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs

Fruit Filling:

• 1-1/2 cups diced peaches
• 1 cup blueberries
• ¼ tsp. almond extract
• ½ cup frozen whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip Lite)

For Topping:  About 2 Tblsp. Confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

To make the cream puff pastry:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place butter and water.

Bring to boil and boil until butter melts.  Leaving pan on heat, stir in salt, sugar and flour with a wooden spoon, stirring briskly until a ball forms.

Place the ball of dough in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Allow to cool for 20-25 minutes until dough is lukewarm to the touch.

When dough has cooled, beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well with mixer after each addition. Dough should be of a sticky consistency.

Divide dough into 6 medium puffs (each about 3 Tblsp. of dough) and place on prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each puff.  You can drop dough with a large spoon and then form with your fingertips.

Bake in preheated 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes.  REDUCE HEAT TO 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  During the last minute of baking, prick a small hole in each puff with a cake tester or toothpick to assure that the puff is dry on the inside.  Puffs should be golden brown.

Turn off oven, leave puffs in oven and with the oven door ajar, let cool until  lukewarm, approximately 15 minutes.  Remove puffs to a wire rack to continue cooling.

To make the fruit filling:

In a small bowl, place the peaches, blueberries and almond extract, tossing to mix.

Gently fold in the thawed whipped topping.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to serve, split the puffs in half.  If there is still some moistness inside, remove it, and fill the puff bottom half with 1/6 of the fruit – about ½ cup.

Place the puff top on the fruit and sift some confectioners’ sugar over the top.

Serve at once.

6 servings

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Banana Peach Bars

I first made this bar cookie in 1996,  adapted from a recipe in a Pillsbury Classic cookbook.  It’s very good, not too rich and stays moist for several days.

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peach preserves (I used my homemade preserves)*
• 1/2 cup mashed banana (one medium)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9×9 pan.

No electric mixer needed – in a medium bowl whisk the egg, then stir in  brown sugar, peach preserves, mashed banana, melted margarine and vanilla.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir into the banana mixture just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Stir in chopped nuts.

Pour into a greased 9×9 pan.  Bake @ 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes until cake tests done when a tester is inserted in the center.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Cut into 8 bars.

*Missouri Peach Preserves

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Fresh Peach Crumble Pie

I’ve been traveling a bit – peach-wise – the past couple of weeks.   I’ve had South Carolina Peaches, I’m waiting on the Georgia Peaches, and this week my farm market had Ohio grown peaches.  This recipe is a combination of a favorite filling and a favorite streusel topping plus my all-time favorite pie crust.  It’s a perfect dessert for a summer day.

PEACH CRUMBLE PIE

• Pastry for a 9″single crust pie, unbaked (click here for my favorite recipe)

Filling:

• 4 cups sliced fresh peaches
• 1/4 cup Minute Tapioca
• Pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp. almond extract

Crumble Topping:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 Tblsp. butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven @ 375 degrees F

In a large bowl, combine peaches, tapioca, salt, sugar, lemon juice and almond extract.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients:  flour, sugar and butter.  Set aside.

Stir peaches and pour into pastry lined 9″ pie pan.  Spoon crumble topping on, covering all of the top surface of peaches.

Place on a flat pan to catch spills and bake @ 375 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Best served after cooling to room temperature.  Servings:  6 to 8

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A Summer Supper from Leftovers

After cooking dinner for guests on Sunday, I had some leftover grilled chicken and some pasta – very small amounts.  I also had one large ripe peach and a little bit of rhubarb from my garden.  I thought if I put all of the small amounts together in the right way, I might have a nice supper for myself.

I used the peach and rhubarb along with some staples to make a Fruit Betty.  I found this recipe in a 1976 Redbook cookbook which I had gotten way back in the day for subscribing to Redbook magazine.  It’s been a good source for me all these years, although I had never made this dish before.

While the dessert was cooling, I put together a simple  salad with the chicken, pasta, some onion, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and one of my favorite dressings.

It was a very easy, fast and tasty meal.  I might have to come up with these particular leftovers again sometime.

RHUBARB AND PEACH BETTY

• 1-1/2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut in 1″ pieces
• 1-1/2 cups fresh peach slices
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 slices white bread, cut in 1/2″ cubes
• 1 Tblsp. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, peach slices and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.

In a small skillet over moderately low heat, melt the butter.  Add the bread cubes and raise heat slightly, toss cubes with butter and heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.  Watch the bread cubes so that they don’t get too brown.

Place half of the fruit in a 4 to 6 inch buttered baking dish.  Top with half of the bread cubes.  Repeat layers.  Sprinkle top with 1 Tblsp. granulated sugar.

Bake uncovered @ 375 degrees F for approximately 40 minutes.

Serve with half-and-half cream.

I really enjoyed this dessert.  It’s good warm from the oven or at room temperature and the cream is perfect to temper the tartness of the fruit.  Actually, I have more leftovers to contend with since the recipe made 3 servings, but I don’t mind a bit.

CHICKEN AND PASTA SALAD FOR ONE

• 1 cup cooked pasta
• 2 oz. grilled chicken breast
• 2 Tbsp. chopped sweet onion
• 4-5 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Red Wine Dressing
• 2 Tblsp. fresh basil for garnish

RED WINE VINEGAR DRESSING

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I like Hellman’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise)
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. red wine vinegar
• Sprinkling of salt
• Grating of black pepper

Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Toss together the pasta, chicken and vegetables.  Add the Red Wine Vinegar Dressing and garnish with fresh basil.

This is a very good light salad.  Of course, any vegetables and herbs could be substituted – this was what I happened to have in the refrigerator.

Being frugal and using up all the leftovers is a pretty good idea.

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Peach Lasagne

I just discovered this recipe last summer and used it several times when peaches were at their best.  I watched a TV demo on Lidia’s Italian Cooking and thought it sounded wonderful.  It’s a good way to use leftover Italian or French bread.  I would recommend using a hearty bread rather than your favorite supermarket white loaf.

PEACH LASAGNE

Fruit Layer:

• 3 lbs. ripe peaches
• Juice and grated peel of one lemon
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Bread Layer:

• 6 Tblsp. butter
• 8 slices hearty bread, sliced fairly thin
• 1-1/2 Tblsp. sugar

Crumb Topping:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tblsp. dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 4 Tblsp. butter
• 3 Tblsp. slivered almonds

Preheat oven @ 350 degrees F

Peel peaches and cut into 1/4″ thick wedges.  Place peach slices in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, lemon peel and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.  Set aside.

Slice bread into the equivalent of 8 thin slices.  In this case, I used some leftover Italian bread.

Melt 3 Tblsp. butter in large skillet and lay in half of bread slices.   Brown on each side.  Repeat with remaining butter and bread slices.  Sprinkle slices with 1-1/2 Tblsp. granulated sugar.

Line the bottom of a 9″ baking dish with half of the browned bread slices – should just cover the bottom without overlapping.  Spoon half of peaches/juices on top, arrange a second layer of bread over surface and a final layer of peaches.

Mix together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt and cut in butter.  Mix in slivered almonds.  Crumble over the top of the peach lasagne and bake covered for 50 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes longer.

Serve warm.

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Fresh Fruit Kuchen

Before retiring, I worked for 30 years for a manufacturer’s rep and in the 1980s and 90s he started doing business with Germany.  I took German lessons so I could help with translating the letters we received and to send presentable letters back to Germany.  I also used my limited skills to translate many recipes for the boss’s wife.  One of them was for a fruit kuchen which I adapted to my own taste and what was available in the U.S.  The recipe was a good one and a plum version won a Blue Ribbon at our county fair plus a low-fat recipe contest at a Cincinnati paper.  It makes a very tasty morning coffee cake, especially with fresh peaches.  The results aren’t as good with canned fruit.

FRESH FRUIT KUCHEN

3 Tblsp. sour cream

3 Tblsp. milk

3 Tblps. vegetable oil

½ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp lemon peel

¼ tsp salt

1 cup + 2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 lb. fresh fruit, peeled and cored, in thin slices

Cinnamon topping:  2 Tblsp. granulated sugar

and 1 tsp. cinnamon, mixed together

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, oil, sugar and lemon peel.  Mix together the salt, flour, baking powder and baking soda, and gradually stir into sour cream mixture.  Place batter in greased 8″ or 9″ pan.  The dough will be stiff and somewhat sticky.  Dampen your hands with water and then press the dough into the pan.

Arrange the peach slices over the top of the cake.

Bake @ 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle cinnamon topping over top of cake and continue baking for 5 more minutes.

Place on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

Best when eaten warm from the oven.Yield: One 8″ or 9″ kuchen

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