So I had a fun, simple and delicious dinner planned for a small group of besties! You know the drill, you can’t wait for the conversation, the news, the wine!!! Well, hell – dinner is a done deal because this is a go to din-din, with favorite flavors and recipes! So that was how it was supposed to go! BUT on this late summer evening, a sure thing decided not to show up!
The delicious Hilltops Black Walnut Salad – well that was perfect down to the little kiss of maple syrup that makes it sing! The Apples in Rum Raisin Dessert sauce was ingredient prepped, and even the ice cream was pre-scooped (yes I admit to being a bit of a control freak!). The only job on dessert was to make sure that my dramatic flambé did not get out of hand…well, that’s another story! Let’s just say deliciousness was served!
It was the mini baked stuffed eggplants, that had me laughing, a little crying and a big “no I’m not serving this?!!. The little buggers, would not—repeat would not—cook! No kidding! I have never had this happen before, so after an hour of checking the oven, prodding and looking aghast, I went to plan B, Eggplant Parmesans. Now I have a killer recipe for Eggplant Parmesans – and I’m sharing that here, but what I served my dear friends that evening did not look so pretty! Honestly, I am sharing this because there you have it…a sure thing, going amiss – not your everyday kitchen event! But I haven’t stopped laughing since. So to friends who ignore mistakes, to a little “too much wine”, to the flaming flambé dramatic finish and to totally serving food with joy – perfect of not. Over and out my friends!!
So late summer peaches always ring the bell for me, there is a little whisper that says “enjoy these, play with these….pssst, pumpkins are next”. So in the mind set of “seizing the day”, what is better than Peaches n’ Cream. This cake takes the Peaches n’ Cream and floats it on a cloud of total deliciousness. It takes a few steps, a little patience, but doesn’t everything that is wonderful! May you float on this cloud of deliciousness and enjoy sharing with those special in your life!
From the Kitchen of Terri Bergman
Peach Cream Cloud Cake
SERVES: 12-16 LEVEL: Intermediate and some! YOU GOT THIS!
INGREDIENTS PEACH PUREE: 6-8 Peaches ½ lemon juiced ¼ cup sugar ½ to 1 tsp of Pummull Spice
PEACH CAKE (Presto Style!): Purchase 2 boxes Lemon Supreme Cake Mixes 6 eggs ½ C melted Butter 3 cups Puréed Peaches (from above) 1 Large Jar peach or apricot preserves
FOR THE FILLING/CAKE SEAL GANACHE
BUTTERCREAM-CHEESE FROSTING (Ganache Style): ½ C butter softened 1 8oz block Cream Cheese 4 C. Confectioners Sugar 1/8 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla Dash of lemon juice Optional 1 Tbsp of Cream or milk
WHIPPED CREAM/CHEESE CLOUD FROSTING: 1 8oz pkg Cream Cheese 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream 1 to 1.5 Cup Confectioners Sugar 1 tsp Corn Starch 1 tsp vanilla
Get the Party Started!
DIRECTIONS Create PEACH PURÉE by peeling and slicing ripe peaches, place in bowl and squeeze ½ fresh lemon juice over slices and sprinkle with sugar and Pummull Spice Seasoning.
Process in blender to make a peach purée should yield 3 cups.
Make Lemon Supreme cake mixes but add 6 eggs, ½ melted butter and 3 cups of peach purée. Bake cakes in approx 9” greased pans with wax paper on the bottom of each pan (circle cut). (This helps to keep cakes from cracking when they cool) Cool cakes. (Makes 4 cake rounds)
Use 3 of the cooled cakes, spread warmed peach or apricot preserves on the tops and let cool again. (Reserve the remaining cake round for another day….freeze it!)
Make Buttercream-cheese frosting ganache by beating the butter and cream cheese until light, add confectioners sugar, vanilla and lemon squeeze. If needed add up to 1 Tbsp Cream
Frost/seal, each of the cake round tops with Frosting and then stack to form the 3 layer cake.
When stacked and straight frost/seal the sides til the entire cakes are lightly frosted but sealed.
At this time refrigerate the cake.
Whipped CreamCheese Fluff Frosting; whip cream cheese until light and fluffy, set aside.
Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks and add vanilla, confectioners sugar and 1 tsp corn starch. When all combined reincorporate the whipped cream cheese into mixture give a 30 second whip to incorporate – and Viola! At this point frost the entire cake top and side. Use any additional frosting to create clouds to accent the top of the cake. This needs to go into a refrigerator and taken out just before serving. I like to take a fresh peach and slice to garnish top when ready to serve! If you make ahead and need to hold more than a day or so, freeze entire cake. It freezes covered with wax paper wonderfully! Enjoy – this is the delicious bomb.
“in shareable pies for 2!” The end of summer in northern Ohio brings forth the most glorious ripe, sweet and juicy peaches anyone can buy. These beauties become the star in the small, sharable pies that bring out the best in these local peaches.
From the Kitchen of Terri Bergman
Peach Pie
SERVES: 12 (in 6 petite pies) LEVEL: PRESTO (easy)
INGREDIENTS Base: We are starting with your favorite pie dough recipe or for a quick fix use the Pillsbury Pie Crust roll outs (in the grocer refrigerator section)
Filling: ½ Peck or 15+ Ripe peaches, peeled and thinly sliced 1/2 Fresh lemon squeezed over peaches immediately 3 Tbsp. Corn Starch 1 tsp. Pummull Spice *KB’s signature 7 Spice Cinnamon Blend! 1 cup sugar Egg **for egg washing the dough Sparkling coarse sugar (if desired 3 tsps.)
DIRECTIONS Mix Corn starch, Pummull Spice and sugar into peach slices (lemon juice already in!)
In 6 small pie or cheesecake forms (that have been sprayed with oil), line with pie dough to cover bottoms/sides and extra inch or so to fold over top. Place 1.5 cups of peach mixture in each pie form, fold dough border over top. Mix egg in cup and lightly brush the exposed top dough and sprinkle lightly with sparkling sugar and pinch of Pummull Spice.
Bake in preheated 375 degree over for 15 mins., reduce heat to 325 and bake 30-35 additional minutes. Remove from oven when golden brown and set aside. If using cake forms with removable sides carefully run butter Pknife sides to dough, to gently release pie from sides.
Peach Pie begs for vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce completes the sweet ending!
