Painted Peach Cake With Hot Tamale Centre

Gotcha! This is a perfectly delightful cake. It is quick and easy to make as you use a cake mix but it is as different to make as can be.

Each slice will look like a sun-kissed peach with a cinnamon kick.

  • 1 pkg. white cake mix
  • 2 pkg. cream cheese (not light)
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 medium ripe peaches, peeled and sliced in wedges
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup of red cinnamon Hot Tamale candies, frozen

In your electric mixer combine the cake mix, cream cheese and 5 large eggs. Mix until smooth (about 2 minutes). Spray a bundt cake pan with Pam really well and spoon 1/2 of the cake into the prepared pan.

Arrange the peaches all around making sure they do not touch the cake pan. You should be able to get 2 rows all around the cake without touching the pan edges.

Remove the candies from the freezer and place in a sealable plastic bag. Get out the trusty rolling pin and smash the candies almost to crumbs. Sprinkle these on top of the sliced peaches and top with the remaining cake mixture.

In a preheated oven at 350 degrees, bake the cake for 35-45 minutes until the cake tests done.

Cool on a rack completely. Drizzle with a glaze made from 1/2 sifted icing sugar and 1-2 tbsp. lime juice.

 

 

Peachy French Toast

This is the time for peaches and why not use them in every way possible. Try this recipe. It serves 2, so if more mouths to feed than that, add accordingly all the ingredients.

 

  • 2 croissants (day old is best)
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
  • 2 large, ripe peaches
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup half and half cream
  • 3 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • butter for frying
  • icing sugar

Slice the croissant in half, lengthwise and spread 1 tbsp. of the cream cheese on each half.

Slice the peaches and place most of the slices on one half of each croissant. Put the tops back on each one.

Beat together in your electric mixer the eggs, cream, sugar and vanilla. Soak each croissant in this mixture but not to get them soggy. Melt the butter and cook each one until they become a golden brown and warm in the middle.

Place on a pretty plate, add the remaining  peach slices and sprinkle a generous amount of icing sugar. If you JUST happen to have on hand, a dollop of whipped cream, it will just take this one over the top. Place a couple of mint leaves on the side (for colour).

I told you it was yummy…..and I didn’t lie.

Peachy-Keen French Toast

Another way to present french toast. This time, of course, with fresh peaches when they are ready this summer and with this recipe, you will be ready to go ahead.

 

  • 6 peaches, peeled and sliced into wedges
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 tbsp. water
  • 1 loaf French bread (12-14 slices)
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup milk plus 1/2 cup cream
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla

Heat sugar and butter on medium-low until dissolved;  add the water and continue cooking until this becomes thick and foaming.  Pour  into a prepared 13 x 9 inch baking dish and cool for 10 minutes or so.

Place the peaches on the cooled caramel sauce and cover with bread, making sure to fit the pan.

In a blender, add eggs, milk and vanilla until mixed,  Pour over the bread, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the fridge at least 3/4 hour before baking. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.  If this browns too fast, loosely cover with foil for the last 10-15 minutes.  Serve this warm with warmed peach syrup. Homemade, of course.

Nothing can be better than sun-kissed peaches just picked off the tree…mmmm

 

 

Fresh Peach Pie

Living where we do now and it being the season for  peaches, here is a recipe I used so many years ago….it is soo good and with peaches so readily available, why not?

 

You will need:

  • pastry for two crusts to fit a 9 inch pie plate
  • 8 cups of sliced fresh peaches
  • 1  1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 tbsp. Cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare pastry.

Mix peaches lightly with other ingredients in a bowl.  Put into pastry lined pan and top with pastry. Press to seal and bake 50 – 60 minutes until browned.  That’s it….that’s all it is.  Yummy-yummy.

Icewine Martini

This is one way to serve icewine. Make it into a martini.

In a shaker filled with cracked ice wine, pour:

  • 1 1/2 ounces of chilled icewine,
  •  1/8 ounce of lemon juice,
  • 1 ounce fresh peach juice
  • 1 ounce cranberry juice.

Shake well and strain into prepared martini glasses. On a cocktail pick, thread 3 fresh cranberries or a slice of fresh peach and serve.