Leave it to the Red Hat Society to feature more peach desserts than any of the other cookbooks on my shelf. Those ladies know how to cook... and eat! How many other cookbooks do you know feature desserts in the first chapter?
I received this book recently from a delightful woman with a great sense of humor and a wonderful outlook on life. Mary Lou is from North Carolina. She was one of the last people I met when I lived down there, but I wish I had met her first. Just like the book says, eat dessert first. She is a peach.
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Naked peaches ready for slicing and the crumble mixture |
Crust
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
Filling
4 cups sliced fresh peaches
2 TB cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 TB lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 425. For the crust, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Cut in the butter and mix with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup of the "crumbs" for the topping. Press the remaining crumbs into the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch pie pan.
For the filling, combine the peaches, cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix well. Pour the peach mixture into the crumb shell. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with the reserved crumbs. Return the pan to the oven and continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown and the peaches have softened. Serve warm. Ice cream makes an excellent topping. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Shirley Wright, Queen Sweetie
Super Sun Sweeties, Apache Junction, Arizona
From The Red Hat Society Cookbook, Rutledge Hill Press, c2006.
