L ifestyle /C ulture
Just Peachy
F OO D
use any sweet and juicy fruit
you have around. Nectarines,
I ADORE PEACHES. When berries, kiwis, etc., would all
they come into season, I buy be lovely atop this creamy
baskets of them at the farmers confection.

market, then end up with a glut
because I am the only one who PEACH AND PLUM
“CAKE-LER” eats them at home.

Never one to waste, I am Serves 4-6
forever on the hunt for peach
recipes. I toss them in salads,
For the fruit filling:
slice them and top ricotta- or
6 cups peeled, sliced fresh
yogurt-schmeared toast with
peaches and plums
them, serve them with cheese,
(I used 3 peaches and
atop ice cream, over pound
4 plums)
cake, in muffins — you get
½ cup sugar
the idea.

Juice of ½ lemon
Recently, I had a few peaches
and plums (another weakness
For the topping:
of mine) that were slightly
1 stick butter, softened
past optimal ripeness and was
1 cup flour
inspired to make a peach and
¾ cup sugar
plum dessert. I am reluctant
2 teaspoons baking powder
to call it a cobbler, because the
¾ cup buttermilk (or regular
topping I assembled was more
milk or nondairy milk)
cake-y than biscuit-y, which
1 egg
suits me fine, so I have coined
¼ teaspoon salt
the rather awkward portman-
1 teaspoon vanilla
teau “cake-ler.” I often find that
the biscuit-style topping, while
Heat your oven to 350
tasty, doesn’t rise to the sweet- degrees F. Place the prepared
ness of a dessert; it feels more fruit in a 2-quart baking
like a breakfast pastry to me.

dish (I use a glass Pyrex).

That said, there are count- Mix the topping ingredients
less numbers who love that in a medium bowl until well
crust and, if that is your prefer- blended. Pour it over the fruit
ence, simply cut the amount and bake for about 40 minutes
of sugar called for here in half, until the topping is golden-
and you will have your tradi- brown and slightly crisp on top.

Serve with whipped cream
tional cobbler. The fruit base
can be anything — a combo or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

of stone fruits, berries, apples,
pears, figs, etc. Use what is in PEACH CREAM PIE
Serves 6-8
season and/or just past ripe.

The second recipe was a
revelation. I saw a version of it This pie is the creamiest, dream-
online that used a pretzel crust. iest summer dessert. I have
While I found that intriguing, I always been a fan of mascarpone
had graham crackers on hand, whipped cream — mascarpone
so I made a graham cracker gives whipped cream a bit more
crust. It is a perfect summer heft and complexity and, for a
dessert because it does not pie like this, holds it together
involve much time in the oven more solidly.

This preparation would be
— just a few minutes to bake
the crust, then it’s all about divine with most anything,
including drizzled chocolate,
the chill.

Like the “cake-ler,” you can toasted coconut or chopped
KERI WHITE | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM nuts or, as described below,
with fresh fruit.

Graham cracker crust:
1½ cups graham cracker
crumbs 2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter
Heat your oven to 350
degrees F. Place the butter in
a 9-inch pie pan, and melt it
in the microwave for about 30
seconds. Place the remaining ingre-
dients in the pan, then mix
them with a fork or your fingers
until the texture is uniform.

Press the mixture into the
pan and up the sides to form
a crust.

Bake it for about 10 minutes
until the crust is just starting
to brown. Remove it from the
oven, and set it aside to cool
before filling.

Filling: 1½ cups heavy whipping
cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ pound mascarpone
cheese ¼ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons peach jam
JEWISH EXPONENT
Peach and Plum “cake-ler”
Topping: 4 ripe peaches, peeled and
sliced ¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
Juice of ½ lemon
While the crust cools, whip
the cream, mascarpone and
sugar in a medium bowl, and
place it in the fridge to chill.

Place all the topping ingredi-
ents in a medium saucepan,
and bring them to a boil. Set it
Photos by Keri White
aside to cool.

To assemble the pie, spread
the preserves on the bottom
and up the sides of the cooled
crust. Pour the cream filling
into the pie shell, and top it
with about a third of the cooled
peach mixture. Do not pour
the peaches on the cream if
they are at all warm; they will
“melt” the cream. Save the
remaining peaches for serving.

Chill the pie for at least six
hours or overnight. l
AUGUST 5, 2021
21