Streusel-Topped Peach Blueberry Pie

Upper right: Toll House Cookie Pie & lower right: Coconut Pie

Things that really matter are the things that gold can't buy. 

So let's have another cup o' coffee and let's have another piece o' pie. 

Irving Berlin

I was in charge of organizing the pie portion of a fundraiser for my Stafford PEO group. I had ordered plastic containers for individual pieces of pie, but I felt like I needed to make a pie and experiment with how best to cut it to fit in the containers.

Randy was a big fan of the experimentation. The pies I made later in the week were carted out the kitchen door to our PEO Potatoes and Pie fundraiser at the First Friday event at the Nora Larabee Memorial Library in Stafford. PEO was raising money for our local scholarship, given each year to a senior girl at Stafford High School. It was also a way for our PEO members to get involved in a fun community event. Community service is always a good thing!

The containers worked well, though we also used a piece of tape to make sure the lids stayed close. I used under-the-bed plastic storage containers to display the pies and make them easier to transport from the church kitchen (where we cut each pie into eight pieces) and the library, where we served. This was the only photo I took all evening (not very impressive, but I guess I was busy).  The photo just shows a portion of the pies. I stacked them two high in two long containers, and I labeled each pie piece so customers could easily identify them.

Though I made a Coconut Pie and a Toll House Cookie Pie for the actual event, this Streusel-Topped Peach Blueberry Pie was a hit at our house, and it will go in the recipe files for another time. For my experiment, I wanted a crumb-topped pie since my pie crust recipe makes three crusts, and I needed two for later in the week. And it used two fruits that are abundant this time of year. Bonus!

I love a streusel-topped pie with ice cream anyway! Unfortunately, 100-degree temperatures meant that we didn't top our pies with ice cream at the First Friday event. But it sure didn't stop us at home.

If you give it a try, let me know what you think!

Streusel-Topped Peach Blueberry Pie

Recipe adapted from Pillsbury.com

 

1 unbaked pie shell **

 

Filling

3 cups peeled, sliced fresh peaches

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

 

Streusel Topping

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/3 cup cold butter

 

** I always use my sister, Lisa's, Never Fail Pie Crust. Click HERE for that recipe. It makes 3 crusts total. (You can use for 3 single crusts or use for 1 double-crusted pie and a single pie.)

Place pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, mix all filling ingredients. Spoon into crust-lined pie plate.

In medium bowl, mix topping ingredients with fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling.

Place pie shields over the crust. (I use silicone pie shields.) Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Cool on cooling rack for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving.

 

Note: You may use frozen fruit. However, make sure the fruit is thawed and well-drained.

Serves 8. 

***

NOTE: I am sure I will write about the farm sale at some point, but we are still in the midst of the business of finishing up things. We have another day of running around for business today. We'll see how the rest of the week goes and how I feel. (Right now, I'm tired!) It was a good day. We had a great sale with a big crowd, our family was here and the kids hosted a reception after the sale. For the record, I didn't make a single cookie ... or anything else. We are blessed!

 

Peachy Keen: Peach Cobbler Cookies

 

The days are likely numbered for the fresh peaches of summer. On a parts run to Hutchinson last week, I picked up some fresh Idaho peaches at Smith's Market. While Colorado peaches get all the accolades, Idaho peaches are just as juicy and tasty.

I've enjoyed plenty of them "as is" - cut in half and served for breakfast or a snack in all its juicy glory. But when I saw the recipe for Peach Cobbler Cookies pop up on a Taste of Home Facebook post, I knew I wanted to try them. This cookie recipe is a cake-like cookie rather than a crisp treat. The recipe didn't call for a frosting. 

But you know what they say about "icing on the cake." It just makes everything better.

I decided a brown butter frosting would be the perfect compliment to the spicy peach cookies. I kept seeing "brown butter" in recipes and thought, "Oh, it's probably not worth the effort!" I am not afraid to say I was wrong. Brown butter adds another dimension of nuttiness and flavor. 

 

As with most peach recipes, you'll need to have the peaches ripe for the best flavor. If they are a little "green" or firm when you purchase them, just leave them on the kitchen counter until they soften.

I left some unfrosted, then I used the icing in a couple of different ways. I used a decorator tube to make a "fancy" zigzag pattern on some. And I just smoothed a dollop of the frosting on others. 

Whether "naked" or "dressed," these Peach Cobbler Cookies will give you another taste of summer before those lovely fresh peaches are gone for another year. 

 

If you try them, let me know what you think!

Peach Cobbler Cookies

with Brown Butter Frosting (Optional)

Adapted from Taste of Home

 

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)

1/4 tsp. almond extract

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup peeled, chopped fresh peaches

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. In another bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Gradually beat into creamed mixture. It will be stiff. Remove bowl from mixer. Stir in peaches by hand. This will loosen up the dough.

 

Using a cookie scoop, place batter onto prepared baking sheets (either sprayed with cooking spray or parchment paper lined.) Bake until set, 10-14 minutes. Cool on pans for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool. 

 

If desired, frost with Brown Butter Frosting (optional). Store in airtight container.

 

Brown Butter Frosting

1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
2 to 4 tbsp. half and half or milk

 

Heat butter in a saucepan over low heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Don't burn, but let it go until it's a nutty color. Cool for 2 minutes; transfer to mixer bowll. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat in half and half, 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting reaches desired consistency. Frost the cookies.

 

***

 

Do you have other peaches that need to be used before they're too ripe? Try these other tried-and-true peach recipes from the County Line.

 

 Double Crust Peach Crisp 

 

Spiced Peach & Carrot Bread

Double-Crust Peach Crisp

Going to the Farmers' Market in Hutchinson was just peachy. We just happened to be in Hutchinson on a Wednesday, so I brought my ice chest to snag some produce fresh from the farm.

It's been a good year for tomatoes here on the County Line, but we don't plant a big garden. (Yes, I am a failure as a farm wife if you are keeping score with gardening prowess.) 

Among my farmers' market purchases were fresh Kansas peaches. They were delicious eaten "as is," but then I saw a whole page of peach dessert recipes in our High Plains Journal. I had just enough peaches left to try one of the recipes.

The Peach Crisp recipe was a little different because it had a bottom crust as well as a crisp topping for double the "yum." The original recipe used canned peaches, but with fresh peaches on my counter, I jigsaw-puzzled my way to create a recipe to use them.

I have been seeing ads for Colorado peaches, so even if the Kansas peach season is over, our neighbors to the west have their world-famous fruit available for us now! Top with a scoop of ice cream.

It's just peachy. Really.

Double-Crust Peach Crisp

Adapted from the High Plains Journal

and Angie Sutton at Mother's Apron Strings

Bottom Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, cubed

Filling:
4 cups sliced fresh peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. lemon juice

Crisp topping
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
5 tbsp. butter, cubed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender until crumbly. Pat into the bottom of a 9-inch-square pan (I used an 8.5 X 10" oblong pan.) Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, combine cornstarch, sugar and cinnamon, mixing together. Add sliced peaches and lemon juice. Cook on the top of the stove, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. (You may do this step in the microwave, using a microwave-safe bowl. Cook at intervals, stirring every couple of minutes, until the mixture is thickened.

When the bottom crust is baked, pour thickened peaches over the baked crust.

Topping: Combine all ingredients, incorporating the butter with a pastry blender. Sprinkle topping evenly over the peach filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

***

A satellite problem with my internet company has had me MIA again for part of the week. However, this outage only lasted a day and a half, much more palatable than the 2 weeks I was without service earlier this month. The search continues for a new internet provider. I have someone coming to see if they can provide service. I'm trying not to get my hopes up ... but they are. We shall see!

Just Peachy

The days are likely numbered for the fresh peaches of summer. But my hometown grocery store still has peaches on sale this week, so it's not too late to try this spicy quick bread. I made it to share over Labor Day weekend at Jill's and Eric's house.

Select ripe peaches for this bread. And, if they aren't quite ripe, leave them on the kitchen counter for a few days until the peach flesh yields to a soft squeeze. The most time-consuming part of the bread is chopping the peaches and grating the carrots. But it's worth the effort. A time saving hint: Use the shredder/grater blade on your food processor to shred the carrots. (Thanks to Jill, Eric & Brent for replacing my worn-out food processor for Mother's Day!)

Hurry! Soon, the fruits of summer will be gone for another year. Yep, that makes me sad, too.

Spiced Peach and Carrot Bread

from Kitchen Meets Girl blog

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped fresh peaches
3/4 cup grated carrots
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup white chocolate chips and/or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add peaches, carrots, oil, milk and eggs, stirring until just moistened. If desired, add white chocolate and/or pecans (see recipe note below).

Spoon batter into a greased 9- by 5-inch loaf pan (or use smaller pans for mini loaves). Bake the 9- by 5-inch loaf for approximately 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove bread from pan and allow to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

•  Since I was making this bread to take to Jill's and Eric's house and Jill doesn't like nuts in quick breads, I didn't add the white chocolate and pecans to the batter. Instead, I sprinkled them on some of the mini loaves and left others plain.

This shows both versions. On the left side of the cutting board, it's the bread I sprinkled with white chocolate and chopped pecans. On the right, I left it unadorned.

• I doubled the recipe so I had bread to share and bread to put in the freezer. 
• If you want, you could use half white whole wheat flour in the bread for additional nutrition. You could also replace half the oil with applesauce.