Peach cobbler + Mr. Clooney

One of my all time favorite cookbooks is "Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes" – it’s beautiful and packed with great layer cake recipes; I’ve tried several cakes so far and they were delicious. Therefore, when I saw that Alisa Huntsman was the mind behind this book I bought it immediately – and I have not regretted doing so.
Being a crumble addict – I do love fruit desserts – I thought I should give cobblers a chance, too, and decided to start with peaches since they’re in season. The juicy, warm filling combined with the soft biscuits make for a perfect dessert – I think that my beloved crumbles have found some serious competition. :)

Speaking of competition, as much as I want Gary Oldman to take the award home next month I believe that George Clooney will win; I watched "The Descendants" a couple of days ago and not only the movie is excellent but Clooney is absolutely perfect in it – I adore him as an actor and seriously doubted that his stunning performance in "Up in the Air" could be matched – apparently, I was wrong. :)

Peach cobbler
from the gorgeous and delicious Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe: Simple Southern Pies, Puddings, Cakes, and Cobblers from Nashville's Landmark Restaurant

Fruit filling:
2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 cups sliced ripe peaches – 1,125 to 1,350g (2 ½ to 3 pounds) fresh peaches

Sweet cream dumplings:
¾ cup (105g) unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons (28g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Lightly butter a 1- to 1 ½ quart (liter) ovenproof baking dish and place it on a sturdy baking sheet.
In a mixing bowl, stir the granulated sugar, flour, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Add the peaches and toss gently to coat them with the sugar and spices. Scrape the peach mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Make the sweet cream dumplings: in a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and rub the ingredients together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour in the cream and mix lightly with a fork to form a soft dough (I needed to add 2 tablespoons of flour to the dough). Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1.25cm (½in) thick disk. Using a 5cm (2in) round cutter cut into individual biscuits, reworking the scraps once to make more biscuits. Arrange the biscuits on top of the peaches and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until biscuits are golden and fruit is bubbly. Let the cobbler cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Serve with cream or vanilla ice cream.

Serves 4 – I made an individual portion using a 1 ½ cup (360ml) capacity baking dish, ¼ of the fruit filling recipe and ½ of the sweet cream dumplings recipe

Peaches and cream ice pops - updated

My summer issue of the DH mag has finally arrived, but unfortunately summer is already gone. I could not resist the ice pops spread, though – each and every flavor looked so good I would have to make at least one. :)
My initial idea was making the raspberry yogurt popsicles, but I’d used my raspberries in other recipes. Luckily I still had a couple of peaches – the last ones of the season – and a bottle of heavy cream in the fridge.

The popsicles turned out so delicious that I don’t think they will last until next weekend – and yes, there were 12 of them. :)

UPDATE: Don't forget to nominate your favorite blogs on Saveur's 2011 Best Food Blog Awards!

Peaches and cream ice pops
from Donna Hay magazine

Sugar syrup:
½ cup + ½ tablespoon (106g) caster (superfine) sugar
¾ cup (180ml) water

Cream layer:
½ cup (120ml) heavy cream, lightly whipped
1 ½ tablespoons icing sugar, sifted
½ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped with the back of the knife

Peach layer:
300g peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped
sugar syrup, cool

Start by making the sugar syrup: place sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let come to a boil, boil for 1 minute then remove from heat and cool completely.
Place the cream, icing sugar and vanilla seeds in a bowl and fold gently to combine. Spoon the mixture into twelve ¼ cup (60ml) capacity popsicle molds and place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, or just until they start to firm. Insert a stick in each mold and freeze for 1 ½ hours.
Place the peach and sugar syrup in a blender and process until very smooth. Divide the peach mixture between the popsicle molds, topping the cream layer. Freeze for 4 hours or until completely frozen.
To unmold the pops, remove the molds from the freezer 5 minutes before serving and run the bottoms under some cold water. Remove carefully for the cream layer is very creamy and might break.

Makes 12

Pandoro with peach jam

I’ve been trying, for a while now, to cook and bake using seasonal ingredients – influenced by my good friend Ana Elisa – and for that reason this recipe was kept on my messy files for almost a year. Finally the peaches are in season and I could make it – this jam is so delicious it was worth waiting that long for it.

The pandoro itself is not very sweet, therefore perfect to be eaten with the luscious jam – add a bit more sugar to the dough if you have a sweet tooth.

Pandoro with peach jam
from Australian Gourmet Traveller

Pandoro:
½ cup (120ml) lukewarm whole milk
28g dry yeast (4 sachets)
2/3 cup (66g) caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for glazing
4 1/3 cups (605g) all purpose flour
pinch of salt
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (183g) unsalted butter, softened
2 egg yolks
¾ cup (180ml) heavy cream
1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 tablespoon of cream, for egg wash

Peach jam:
6 yellow peaches, ripe yet firm
½ cup (100g) caster (superfine) sugar

Combine milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a bowl. Set aside until foamy (5-10 minutes). Sift in 50g of the flour, mix and stand until foamy (5-10 minutes). Place the remaining flour and salt in the large bowl of a stand mixer. Add butter and remaining sugar and, with the paddle attachment, beat until creamy. Change attachment to a dough hook, add yeast mixture, egg yolks and cream and beat until a smooth and elastic dough forms (10-12 minutes). Transfer dough to a lightly buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (1-2 hours).
Meanwhile, make the peach jam: cut an X at the bottom of each peach and lower them in a pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a colander and refresh with cold water – the peels will slip right off. Halve the peaches, remove the stone, then coarsely chop flesh, place in a saucepan with the sugar and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until jam consistency is reached and volume has reduced to 375ml (20-30 minutes). Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F. Knock back dough and roll out to a 65cm (26in) long log shape. Twist log, bring ends together and knot to seal. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet, bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 170°C/338°F. Brush cake with the egg wash, scatter with the extra caster sugar and bake until cooked through and golden (30-35 minutes).
Serve cake warm with the peach jam.

Serves 10

Peach frozen yogurt

A bowl of beautiful, ripe peaches was the beginning of this recipe, but my first idea was making the peach ice cream from the same book this frozen yogurt came from; I changed my mind after considering that using yogurt instead of cream would allow me to eat more dessert – talk about fat thoughts. :)

Peach frozen yogurt
from The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments

675g (1 ½ oz) ripe peaches (about 5 large peaches)
½ cup (120ml) water
¾ cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar*
1 cup (260g) plain whole-milk yogurt
a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Peel the peaches: cut an X at the bottom of each peach and lower them in a pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a colander and refresh with cold water – the peels will slip right off.
Slice the peaches in half, remove the pits and cut into chunks. Cook them with the water in a medium, nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and cooked thought, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the sugar, then chill in the refrigerator.
Purée the peach mixture in a food processor or blender with the yogurt until almost smooth but still slightly chunky. Mix in the lemon juice. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

* I suggest adding less sugar and taste – mine was a bit too sweet

Makes about 3 cups

Ginger peach muffins

When it comes to Eddie Murphy’s movies there are only two I like, but the first bite into one of these muffins and “The Heat is On” popped in my head. :)

The ginger adds a fresh, delicious kick to these muffins and I was amazed by how well the flavor goes with peaches.

Ginger peach muffins
from Good to the Grain

Topping:
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2-3 small peaches, ripe but firm
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey

Batter:
1 cup (100g) oat flour
¾ cup (105g) all purpose flour
½ cup (70g) whole wheat flour
1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (44g) dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
generous pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick/84g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, room temperature
½ cup (130g) plain yogurt
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; generously butter a muffin pan with a 1/3 capacity.
Grate the ginger into a bowl – some will be used for the topping and the rest in the batter.
For the topping: halve the peaches, remove the pits, then slice the halves into slices about ¼ in thick. Add the butter, honey and 1 teaspoon of the ginger to a medium-size frying pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the ingredients melt and begin to bubble, about 2 minutes. Add the peaches, toss the pan to coat them with the syrup, then remove from the heat and set aside.
Make the batter: sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring back any grain or other ingredients that may remain in the sifter. In a small bowl, whisk well the butter, milk, yogurt, egg and remaining ginger. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined – do not overmix. Scoop the batter into 9 holes of the prepared muffin pan – the batter should be slightly mounded above the edge. Lay one or two slices of peach over each muffin. Fill the empty cavities of the pan halfway with water before placing it in the oven.
Bake for 24-28 minutes or until the muffins are golden and smell nutty – gently twist a muffin out of the pan to check it – and the edges of the peaches are caramelized. Remove from the oven, wait 2-3 minutes, then very gently remove the muffins from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool – do that to avoid soggy muffins.

Makes 9 – I used a muffin pan of the same size and got 12

Peach, raspberry and almond crumble

I’ve read that Viggo Mortensen will be playing Sigmund Freud on David Cronenberg’s next movie – such great news. I love both gentlemen working separately, but together they’re even more wonderful.

Here’s another great pairing: peaches and raspberries. It was my first time trying them together, but certainly won’t be the last.

Peach, raspberry and almond crumble
adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller

300g peaches (about 2)
45g frozen raspberries
1 ½ tablespoons demerara sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Almond crumble:
2/3 cup (93g) all purpose flour
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon (70g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1cm pieces
3 ½ tablespoons demerara sugar
1 ½ tablespoons flaked almonds

For almond crumble, preheat oven to 200°C/392°F. Combine flour and butter in a medium bowl and rub with your fingertips until fine crumbs form. Add sugar and almonds, mix to combine and set aside.

Cut peaches into wedges and combine with remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Divide among two 1 cup (240ml) capacity ovenproof baking dishes, top with almond crumble and bake until golden brown (25-30 minutes). Serve immediately with double cream or ice-cream.

Serves 2