Peaches and Cream Cake

This recipe is one of those that’s been around forever under one name or another. It was given to me by one of the nurses at work. She’s been making it for years and she said it’s always a hit at her house. I’m glad I got the recipe from her because it was a hit with my family, too, though I did tweak it a little (as always). I increased the peaches, cut down on the sugar, and added vanilla extract. I can tell it’s going to become a favorite at our family get-togethers and at potlucks, too. This one is a definite keeper!

PEACHES AND CREAM CAKE

• 1½ cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 pkgs. (3.4 oz. each) cook & serve vanilla pudding (do not use instant)
• 1 cup milk
• 6 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 large (29 oz. each) cans sliced peaches
• 2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp. peach syrup from can
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• cinnamon-sugar, for sprinkling on top (recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×13 pyrex glass baking dish.
2. Drain both cans of peaches, reserving 6 tablespoons of syrup for later.
3. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla puddings together.
4. Add milk, butter, and eggs.
5. Beat together with an electric mixer, about 3-4 minutes.
6. Spread in prepared baking dish.
7. Arrange peach slices to cover top of batter.
8. Beat cream cheese in a bowl until smooth.
9. Add sugar, peach syrup, and vanilla, and beat until well-combined.
10. Spoon over peaches, then smooth with a spatula.
11. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over cream cheese mixture.
12. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

NOTE:  To make cinnamon sugar, the ratio is 1/4 cup sugar to 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Store in an airtight container. For this recipe, you’ll probably only sprinkle about a couple of tablespoons or so over the top.

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Easy Peach Cobbler

I love peach season…. the hot summer days when the peach trees are heavy with fruit just waiting to be harvested. And what could be better on a balmy summer’s evening than a dish of warm peach cobbler with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on the side? The amazing smells that fill the kitchen as the cobbler bakes make you drool with anticipation.

If you have the time and some of those fresh summer peaches I mentioned, by all means go ahead and use them. They’re so delicious, you won’t regret it. That being said, this recipe is “easy” because it uses canned peaches. No need to peel, slice, or cook them. Can’t beat the ease and convenience of that on a lazy summer day!

EASY PEACH COBBLER

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large can (28-ozs.) sliced peaches, undrained
• 1 medium can (15-ozs.) sliced peaches, drained
• cinnamon, for sprinkling over top (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Melt butter in a 9×13 baking dish in the oven.
3. While butter is melting, drain syrup from medium size can (15-oz.) peaches and discard syrup or save for another use.
4. Using a wire whisk, stir sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together very well in a medium bowl.
5. Slowly add milk, stirring continuously until well combined.
6. Pour batter directly over melted butter in baking dish. Do not stir!
7. Carefully spoon drained peaches from medium 15-oz. can on top of batter. Do not stir!
8. Then gently add the peaches with the syrup from the large 28-oz. can. Again, do not stir!
9. If desired, sprinkle cinnamon (as much as you like) over top.
10. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.
11. This is great served warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

NOTE:  If you prefer to use fresh peaches for this recipe, you’ll need 4 cups of peeled, pitted and sliced peaches (about 5-8 peaches depending on how big your peaches are). Place the peach slices in a saucepan with 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will use the peaches with the syrup for this recipe.

Peach Bellini’s

Gigi, one of my best friends, came to visit us last weekend. She brought us a couple of bottles of Spanish Cava. Cava is a sparkling wine which is very, very popular in Spain. It gets its name from the caves or “cavas” where the wine is aged.

We had a bottle left over so I decided to experiment and make Peach Bellinis with it. It turned out pretty good. A Bellini is traditionally made with Prosecco, but I didn’t have any on hand and we needed to drink Gigi’s cava anyway. Here’s my Peach Bellini Recipe.

PEACH BELLINI

• 6 peaches (about 1½ lbs.), peeled, halved and pitted
• 3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, optional
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, depending on how sweet your peaches are
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 bottle Prosecco (750 ml or 3 1/3 cups), chilled
• granulated sugar for garnishing glasses

1. Place the peaches, lemon juice (if using), sugar and water in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth.
2. Pour peach puree into a small pitcher and place in refrigerator to chill until needed.
3. When ready to serve, pour a little sugar on a plate and invert a chilled champagne glass in the sugar to coat rim.
4. Pour peach puree about a third of the way up prepared glass and top off with Prosecco.

NOTE:  You can substitute 1 16-oz. bag frozen peaches, defrosted, or 1 large can peaches, drained. Omit the water if using canned peaches.