Fresh Peach and Tart Cherry Crumb Pie

I always tell people that I am not a pie person, because I truly believe that I’m not. But, in looking back over the blog, I see that I have more than a dozen pie recipes here, all of which I have eaten and enjoyed. So, perhaps I should change my catchphrase that pies are "the liver of desserts" to something else. It seems as though, much to my surprise, I have indeed become a pie person.

When peaches caught my eye at the local market, fresh from an area farm, I had to buy them. Peaches are one of my favorite fruits, and there’s nothing I like more than peach cobbler. When I got them home, I was thinking that instead of cobbler I would make a pie, because I know my dad prefers that, and I also knew that I would be taking him a big slice. I wanted to do something different, and as I was wondering that, my eyes fell upon a package of Melissa’s tart cherries. I was thinking how wonderful they would be in a peach pie. There amongst the juices, they would hydrate, and become plump and add a delicious tartness, as well as color and interest. I was right! This is a sumptuous pie, with a combination of ingredients you most likely have not run across before. It’s easy to put together, well, as easy as is any fruit pie, it is delicious warm, or cool, or for breakfast.

Fresh Peach and Tart Cherry Crumb Pie

1 crust for a 9” pie*

5 cups sliced peeled peaches

1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa’s Dried Tart Cherries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon bourbon

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of cardamom

¼ teaspoon salt

Topping:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup light-brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of cardamom

1½ sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate with crust; flute edges. Make topping by placing all topping ingredients into a food processor and pulse until mixture becomes crumbly.

Place the sliced peaches in a large bowl, and sprinkle with lemon juice and bourbon. Mix gently. Stir in dried cherries.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt. Pour over the peaches, and mix gently. Turn into the piecrust. Cover with crumb topping.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is brown and the juice begins to bubble. If the top browns too quickly, cover with aluminum foil about halfway through baking. Cool before serving.

*I am not a crust snob. Make it, buy it, do what you like.

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Plumberry Pie is another favorite that uses a simple crumb topping to enhance the delicious summer fruit inside.

This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Pink Saturday
Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create

Best of the Weekend

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Streusel-Topped Fresh Peach Muffins

What a year for peaches this has turned out to be. Despite the heavy, Monsoon-type rains we had during the month of June that turned my geraniums spindly and petunias leggy, the local peach crop seems to be thriving. So much so that, according to the major grower in the area, this is the best crop they have had in 175 years! Well, this is just peachy with me. I know, terrible pun, but I have been running absolutely amok making peach recipes. Many I have already shared with you. The most recent was this easy and incredible Peach Pepper Preserves. I've also made Peach Cobbler and Peach Melba Preserves.

Yesterday I had a serious hankering for muffins, so made fresh peach muffins from a yellowing recipe that I found crumpled in the back of my recipe box. They smelled like absolute heaven baking, and look at how gorgeous they are!  They are best when served warm (microwave them for 30 seconds each if serving them after they have cooled) with a tiny bit of butter allowed to melt into the peachy goodness.

The recipe calls for one cup of chopped peaches. I really had no idea what that meant. I cut mine into rather large, half-inch cubes, in which case I only used one large peach. Mr. O-P didn't care for the rate of peach dispersal so suggested they be cut smaller next time. In doing so I feel I'd be treading a slippery slope. Chopped too fine and they'd make the dough too moist. Use your own judgment, experiment, see what appeals to you. Personally, I liked my own method just fine.

 Streusel-Topped Fresh Peach Muffins

1 extra large egg
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup unpeeled, diced peaches

Streusel Topping:

1/3 cup butter

¾ cup flour

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup chopped walnuts

Make the streusel topping first: In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together the butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon until crumbly. Add walnuts and pulse once or twice to blend.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place rack in center of oven.

Grease one 6-count jumbo muffin tin, or one 12-count regular muffin tin; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg and milk together until combined. Whisk in butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, lemon juice, and vanilla. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Add flour to milk mixture, stirring just until blended. Do not over mix. Fold in peaches.

Fill wells of muffins tins (I use an ice cream scoop to do so) 2/3 full. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with an ample amount of streusel. Bake for 20-25 minutes if using a 12-count muffin tin, 25-30 minutes if using a jumbo muffin tin. Near the end of baking, check the tops to make sure that the streusel doesn't burn. Cover with foil if it appears threatening to do so.

These do not keep, so eat within 48 hours or freeze.

This post is linked to:

Mosaic Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Tuesday Garden Party

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Foodie Friday

Stone Fruit Crumble with Raspberries

 

Isn't it amazing how our tastes change from season to season?  In the winter, I never think about fruit. Winter is all vegetables for me, and in all sorts of warming comfort food dishes. Once the weather warms though, I can't wait to sink my teeth into the fruits of summer. 

I am a big “stone fruit” fan, and, yes I love every one of them from the myriad available. This morning I was eyeing two boxes of stone fruits from Melissa's, one package of plum bites, and the other of peach bites.  At the same time that I was eyeing these, I was thawing a bag of frozen raspberries that my dad found in his freezer and gave to me. The wheels started turning, and thus I give you, the amazingly easy, super delicious, Stone Fruit Crumble with Raspberries!  This, my friends, is how a recipe is born.  Served hot or at room temperature, with ice cream or not, it is a wonderful taste of summer that everyone will enjoy.

Stone Fruit Crumble with Raspberries

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup macadamia nuts

Pinch of salt

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes

1 bag frozen raspberries, thawed and drained

1 box (1 lb.) of Melissa’s Organic Peach Bites pitted and large diced

1 box (1 lb.) of Melissa’s Plum Bites pitted and large diced

1/4 -1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Pulse flour, sugar, macadamias, and salt in a food processor until nuts are chopped and all is mixed. Add butter and pulse until mixture begins to clump.

Place fruit in a medium mixing bowl and toss gently with sugar.  Taste the mixture to avoid over or under sweetening.  The amount you need depends upon the tartness of your fruit.

Spread fruit in an 8” deep-dish pie plate and cover evenly with topping, mounding in the center.

Bake crumble in middle of oven until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.  Cover with foil if topping begins to get too brown.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Create It Thursday

Inspiration Gallery Thursday
Home and Garden Thursday

Home Sweet Home

Be Inspired Friday

 Show and Tell Friday 

Foodie Friday

Peach Cobbler

Do you mourn the end of peach season like I do?   Peaches are one of my favorite fruits, and I truly hate to see the fresh peach season come to an end.  You can preserve a bit of their freshness, though, in not only making this mouthwatering cobbler to serve to your appreciative family, but also by making up extra batches of the filling to freeze for use during those bleak months of winter.

Peach Cobbler

Filling:

6 large peaches, peeled, quartered, and cut into wedges

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Pinch of cardamom

Topping:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of cardamom

9 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup, plus 2 Tablespoons boiling water

Preheat oven to 425°F.  In a large mixing bowl, combine peaches, sugar, lemon juice, cardamom, and cornstarch until coated.  Pour into a 2-qt. nonreactive baking dish and bake in middle of the preheated oven 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the work bowl of a food processor, place flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and salt.  Pulse to combine.  Add butter and pulse 8-10 times until mixture resembles coarse meal. With motor running, slowing pour water into mixture via the tube, and mix until just combined.

Remove peaches from oven and drop heaping spoonfuls of topping all over the top. Place dish on a cookie sheet to catch drips and bake in the middle of oven until topping is golden, about 25 minutes. (Topping will spread as it bakes.)

Allow to cool on wire rack.  Serve topped with ice cream, whipped cream, a dollop of peach yogurt, or eat directly from pan with large spoon.

To Freeze Filling:
Mix together filling ingredients (DO NOT BAKE!), pour into a gallon-size plastic freezer bag and freeze.  Remove from freezer to the fridge the day prior to desired use.  Continue as directed.

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Be Inspired Friday

Foodie Friday

Summer Fruit Crumbles

 This recipe is an adaptation of Ina Garten’s Peach and Blueberry Crumbles.  I had no blueberries on hand, absolutely LOVE how delicious plums are when baked into a tart, crisp, crumble, or coffeecake, so decided to substitute plums for blueberries.  Am I ever glad that I did; these are sensational!  I served them to guests, topped with a scoop of vanilla frozen custard, and they practically licked their bowls clean.  These are so easy, and here’s a little hint for you, if you double the recipe for the crumble, you can store half of it in the freezer making short work when you decide to make these again, probably within days of making it the first time.  Yes, they are that good! 

Ready for the oven

Summer Fruit Crumbles

For the fruit:

1 pound peaches (I used one box of Melissa’s Organic Peach Bites)

1 pound plums (I used one box of Melissa’s Plumcots)

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the crumble:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Pit plums (no need to peel) and slice into similar size wedges, and place in bowl with peaches. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes before spooning into ramekins or custard cups.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of food processor. Pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it's in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you want to make these early, store the unbaked crumbles in the refrigerator and bake before dinner.  These will keep 1-2 days in the fridge.

Don’t these look delicious?!

This post is linked to: Full Plate Thursday