{Fresh} Peaches & Cream Dessert

I realize this may be a little late in the season for some of you, and I apologize.  These last six weeks have been busy with potty training, swimming, school starting, you know.....LIFE.  Quite honestly, I took the pictures when I made this dessert the last time and then I got busy with back to school and her party and I just forgot.

If you still have access to some fresh peaches (or nectartines--I've made it with both and it is yum both ways!), you won't be dissapointed.  My family (immediate and extended) gave it rave reviews--which, let's face it, if they won't be honest with you, then who will?

It is perfect for the hot summer day when dessert is in order, but baking something is not.  Which is how this recipe came about--I searched the internet high and low and couldn't find something that suited my fancy because:

1.  I wanted to make a fresh peach dessert, because I had several sitting on my counter that needed to be used.  
2.  It was 90+ degrees all week and I SO was not turning on my oven.
3.  A hot dessert in 90+ degree heat does not sound appetizing.  AT ALL.

So, what's a girl to do?  Blend about five different recipes together until it suits her purposes, that's what. 

 

{Fresh} Peaches & Cream Dessert

Crust:

2 cups finely ground graham crackers (I used about 1 1/2 sleeves of graham crackers and used my food processor to grind them up)
1/3 cup of melted butter

Mix together graham crackers and melted butter until evenly coated.  Firmly press mixture into a 9x13 glass dish or pie plate (and as I was editing my photos, I realized that a pie plate would have made an even prettier presentation. Duh, Jackie!)

Filling:

Whipped Cream~

2 cups heavy whipping cream
2-3 tbsp real maple syrup (you can use powdered sugar to taste as well)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp unflavored gelatin
2 tbsp water

In a small bowl, mix together the water and gelatin.  Let sit for about five minutes.  This will allow the gelatin to "bloom."  In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the whipping cream, maple syrup or powder sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks start to form.  Stop mixing and test your gelatin.  It should have bloomed, but it will probably be pretty firm.  Microwave it at 5 second intervals until it softens and becomes liquid (this shouldn't take more than 5-10 seconds).  If it becomes hot, stir it until it cools to room temperature.  Start beating your cream again and when it is nearly finished, pour in the gelatin liquid while the beaters are beating the cream, so the gelatin becomes fully incorporated. 

Please know that you can substitute in a container of cool whip if blooming and whipping so isn't your style.  Just proceed with the next steps.  Just sayin.

Cream Cheese Mixture~

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3-4 tbsp real maple syrup (again, you can use powdered sugar instead)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream together the cream cheese, syrup and vanilla extract until mixture is creamy and incorporated.  Once it is fully mixed, fold in the whipped cream mixture to the cream cheese mixture until combined.   Spread evenly over the refrigerated crust and refrigerate about 2 hours or until completely firm. 

Peach Layer:

4-5 peaches or nectarines

Pit and slice peaches or nectarines and arrange in layers on top of the cream cheese layer.  You may serve immediately or if you need to refriderate, I would suggest adding the lemon glaze on top.  It makes it look all pretty and glossy and the lemon helps the peaches to not brown and get all icky looking. 


Lemon Glaze:

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

Mix together in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring often.  Sugar will dissolve and mixture will became thick.  Once the mixture can coat the back of a spoon, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  Using a pastry brush or silicone brush, coat the peaches with the lemon glaze. 

Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Serves 8-12. 



 

New Fall Tradition

We have our Christmas traditions and Easter traditions.  This year, we also have a new fall tradition.  And it's a "fall" tradition because it can go from the start of the apple season (end of August?) to as-long-as-I-have-apples-in-my-fridge tradition.  So it's really much longer than Halloween or Thanksgiving.  And these babies are stinkin' good, so I'll definitely stretch it out as long as I can.

So good and so easy.  I totally took the lazy way out and bought caramels (but I did have to unwrap them all so I don't know how "lazy" that really was).  You wash and dry the apples, stick "sticks" in them (I used lollipop sticks), melt the caramel, dip the apples, and dip in toppings--we used peanuts on some. 

They are ahhhh-mazing. 

We are so keeping up this tradition. 

 

Tried It & Loved It: Apple Harvest Cupcakes

I apologize for the lateness in this post.  Unfortunately, this is how I am rolling this week!

With my in-laws visiting this week and my mother-in-law's birthday being early next week, we decided to celebrate her birthday a few days early.  Remembering that she is a lover of all things apple, and with the fall season upon us and apples being in great abundance in our neck of the woods--it just made sense to make an apple-y "cake" for her birthday.  I found this recipe last week in my blog hopping and knew it was perfect to try out.  Of course, I changed it up a little to suit what I use for pantry ingredients and have on hand, but all in all, these were a great little cupcake.

The only liners I had were pink, and not very harvesty, so they were removed for photographic purposes.  

Apple Harvest Cupcakes ~ slightly adapted from Cats and Casseroles  

for the cupcakes:
scant 1 c sugar (mine was sucanat)
3 eggs
3 cup finely chopped apples (I used Galas)
1 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts pecans (I don't particularly care for walnuts)

for the icing:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 lb powdered sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract 

for the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray muffin pan with non stick spray or line with liners and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together sugar and eggs.  Add in chopped apples and mix in coconut oil and vanilla until fully mixed.  In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and add dry mixture to wet mixture one cup at a time until each is fully mixed.  Add in chopped nuts and mix on low speed for about 90 seconds.  Fill muffin cups about two thirds full. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Abby says to bake for about 30 minutes, however that was not the case for me.  I checked on these after 25 minutes and they were well past done--too done.  :(  My oven actually tends to "burn" on the cool side, and most recipes I follow take a little longer than suggested.  Cupcake recipes normally say to bake cupcakes for around 20 minutes and I don't know why this didn't register when I made these--so that was my only complaint suggestion.

Cool cupcakes completely prior to frosting.   

for the frosting:
Mix together butter and cream cheese.  Add in sifted powdered sugar and vanilla and mix thoroughly.  Frost cooled cupcakes or pipe frosting as desired.

Tried It & Loved It: Lemon Coconut Bars*

*Or in my case these would be called Citrus Coconut Bars.  I had two lemons which I thought would be enough.

But it wasn't.

And then I spilled the lemon juice before it made it into the mixing bowl.  Then I really didn't have enough.  So I used some limes.  We all like lemon lime soda, right?  Why not Lemon Lime Citrus Coconut Bars?  It works, right?

Anyhow, these are just a delightful late night treat.  Not that I would know anything about that.  And can you tell I have this thing for lemon?  

By NO means does my photo do these lovely little bites any justice.....take a peek at Jamie's photos of her Lemon Coconut Bars.  I want to be a food stylist just like her when I grow up.  But I keep telling myself, I have a very busy little girl with very grabby hands and a love for sweets just like her mama.  At least that's my excuse for right now, anyway. 

But do try these, they are YUM!

Lemon Citrus Coconut Bars ~ slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction

1 1/2 cups flour (Jamie uses all-purpose, I used all soft white wheat)
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar (I went with a little less, it was about 1/3 cup)
3/4 cup cold butter (Jamie says or margarine, and you can certainly do that, but we all know how I feel about margarine)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice (I did a mix of lemon and lime)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Zest of 2 lemons and 1 lime
1 cup flaked coconut (mine was grated, which might have something to do with the presentation)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 9 x 13 pan by lining with foil or parchment and spray with non stick cooking spray. 

In a bowl, combine flour and confectioners sugar.  Cut butter into mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.  (You may also use a food processor to do this.)  Press into the bottom of prepared pan.  Bake for 15 minutes in preheated 350 degree oven.

While crust is prebaking, mix eggs, sugar, lemon/(lime) juice, zest(s), and baking powder until well combined.  Pour over *slightly* cooled crust and sprinkle coconut evenly over top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool completely on wire rack and cut into bars.

Fresh Fruit Compote

This one I am particularly proud of.  The inspiration come from a container of blueberries in the fridge that the Peanut wasn't eating fast enough.  The child can't get enough fruit, but when her mommy has blueberries and cantaloupe and oranges to offer her at any given time, somethings gotta' give.  Such was the case for the blueberries this time.  They gave.

I started imagining those thick, goopy berry toppings that come with pancakes and waffles from those breakfast chains that Hubs and I used to meet at before class during our dating days.  And I knew I could make it better.  Because fresher is always better, isn't it?

I made blueberry the first morning and apple the next morning.  Blueberry is my fave, but my husband digs the apple.  The Peanut is lover to all fruit, so she was no help for a tie breaker.  Both of these would also be an excellent topping with vanilla ice cream.  YUM!

Blueberry Compote

2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. arrowroot powder (you may use cornstarch too--use about 1 1/2 tsp.)

In a small pan over medium heat, slowly heat berries and syrup.  In a small bowl, mix arrowroot powder/cornstarch with about a tablespoon cold water.  Stir thickener into berry mixture.  Once berries are heated through (sauce may not be thickened at this point) crush berries with a potato masher.  I did this with about half the berries.  Stir occasionally while allowing compote to thicken.  Compote is finished when sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 15-20 minutes.

Apple Cinnamon Compote

2 large apples
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. arrowroot powder (you may use cornstarch too--use about 1 1/2 tsp.)

Peel, core, and chop apples into a small dice.  In a small pan over medium heat, slowly heat apples, cinnamon, and syrup.  In a small bowl, mix arrowroot powder/cornstarch with about a tablespoon cold water.  Stir thickener into apple mixture.  Stir occasionally while allowing compote to thicken.  Compote is finished when sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 15-20 minutes.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Friday Potluck at EKat's Kitchen
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap  
Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday
La Bella Vita's Fresh Clean and Pure Friday 
Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday 
This Chick Cooks Recipe Swap 

Tried It & Loved It: Graham Crackers

Many years ago my Mom's friend gave me a cookie calendar that included a recipe for graham crackers.  I remember just being floored that those were something you could make at home.  I am little older now and a little wiser (at least I hope I am) and I have been a stay at home mom for nearly three years.  I have learned time and time again that most everything you can buy premade at the store can be made at home with fairly simple ingredients.  Whether it's household cleaners or snacks, you can probably make it at home.  And if it's a food item, you control the ingredients, so then you know exactly what's in them too, which is SO cool.  Finally, if you are like me, and you have more time than money, then this can save you money too!

My friend sent me this recipe probably close to a year ago and I haven't bought premade graham crackers since!  They are sooo good and they make an excellent graham cracker crust for your favorite pie recipe too--if you ever have enough leftover to get that far!

Homemade Whole Wheat Graham Crackers ~ slightly adapted from Heavenly Homemakers 

2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour (I used graham flour this time, but whole wheat works/tastes just as well)
½ cup rapadura
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp honey
¼ cup water
1 tsp vanilla
 ½ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a stand mixer or larger bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  Melt butter and stir in honey, water, and vanilla.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until a dough ball forms.  Split dough ball into two equal portions.  Laura suggests rolling each portion out between two sheets of parchment.  I use my Silpats and roll each portion out on the Silpat mat and place on the cookie sheet(s).   Using a pizza cutter, slice rolled out dough into two inch squares.  Prick each square with a fork several times.  Bake for 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking.  At the 18 minute mark, turn off the oven, but leave the crackers in the oven.  Leave in the oven for an additional 30 minutes to one hour.  The 30 minute mark works well with my oven, but you may want to play around with it to see what works for you. 

The key to these are two fold.  First, roll the dough out very thin.  Second, leave the crackers in the oven for the additional time after you turn off the oven.  Some people might call that following the instructions.  I didn't do this the first time I made them, and while they still tasted good, the texture was more of a cookie, not a cracker.  The additional time in the oven allows them to crisp up without over baking. 

Store in an airtight container.