9/9/09

Summer Peaches' Last Hurrah

"
You talk too much!” quipped Thumper, as I sat quietly, reading a book.
I looked up to see my little hooligan, dimpling, ever so slyly. Completely unaware of my plot to overthrow him with oodles of maternal affection.

His silly little comment got me thinking I may just be a chatterbox. Could it be?
In any case, I’ve decided my posts will be a little less chatty—but not today.

First, I'd like us to bow our heads, and have a moment of silence for the omnipotent Prunus Persica. What would religion have to do with any of this, you ask? Hell if I know.

I do know the urge to do a swan-dive at the sight of juicy, summer peaches is a powerful one. And I'm going to miss them. Particularly, the white peach, with its floral sweetness and lower acidity than its yellow counterpart.



And, since summer is almost over, I'd better get on with it, and share the following recipes, using this fleeting summer fruit.

This one is a simple dessert, but a bit fancy too.


Lacquered Peaches

6 apricots, about ½ pound, pitted*
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 cup sugar
4 large peaches (about 1 ½ pounds)
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine the apricots with two cups water, the vanilla bean, and ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan. Boil until very soft, about 15 minutes. Cool. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and submerge the peaches until their skins loosen, about 30 seconds. Drop peaches into a bowl of ice water until they're cool enough to peel.


Put the apricots in a blender, with ¼ cup of their poaching liquid. Process until the mixture is very smooth, adding more liquid, if needed, for the blender to work.

Place remaining ½ cup sugar in a sauté pan.** Cook the sugar on medium-high heat, until sugar melts and turns golden. Reduce heat to low, and pour in the apricot purée. Stir in the lemon juice, until ingredients are blended. Put mixture through a fine mesh strainer.

Place peaches on a lightly-greased baking dish. Spoon the glaze over each peach to cover completely. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Place each peach onto serving plate , without marring the glaze (if you have a fish spatula, use it. It is a great tool for the job).
Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream or Buttermilk Ice Milk.
Adapted from Jean-Georges Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef.




*You can use dried apricots for the sauce. If you do, reconstitute them in hot water for 10 minutes before using.

**This tip will be duhvious to most of you, but here goes: Avoid using a dark pan when caramelizing sugar, or it will be difficult to tell when it takes on color.




...and yet, another favorite, Kolaches!


Raise your hand if you love Kolaches. For the protesting heathen in the back, yeah, YOU. Away with thee. For the rest of you, there's Peach Kolaches. Or is it, Kolachys?
Most of you guys know I'm not from around heah, so feel free to correct me.

I used my favorite Honey Rolls recipe. The only change made, was adding ¼ cup of granulated sugar to the original recipe, as opposed to 2 tablespoons.

Knead briefly, before you shape the dough into 2-inch buns. Place them 1-inch apart, in a prepared, 12" x 17" pan.
To fill Kolaches, make an indentation in each bun using a small, flat-bottomed glass . . . or, the round handle of a wooden citrus reamer (I might've made that up myself).
Fill each bun with a tablespoon of filling.

Peach Filling

Combine 2 cups pitted and chopped peaches with 1 cup peach jam in a bowl. Use the filling as directed.

Cover the buns with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise, until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Meanwhile, prepare the topping.


Streusel Topping

½ cup AP flour
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons chilled butter, diced

Using a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over kolaches just before baking.

Bake Kolaches 25 minutes or until golden. Makes 25-27 buns. Btw, these freeze very well. Filling and Streusel Topping adapted from the book, The Pastry Queen, by Rebecca Rather. Thank you Rosa from Rosa's Yummy Yums for suggesting this book!




In other news...

Thumper went back to school today. And I miss my little playmate already.
He and I spent our summer picking up frogs, snakes and bugs (well, he did the picking, I just nodded appreciatively . . . from afar).

And then, there were those times I told him to go fly a kite! No, seriously. The boy loved it.



We watched "Sponge Bob" as if it were a documentary. We also battled monkeys in space suits, with the aid of the “Agents of Doom.” That's right, heavily-armed chickens. If you have kids, this might actually make sense to you.

It's dreadfully quiet here, and there's no one to tell me I talk too much. Any volunteers?



I hope your summer has been as wonderful!

33 comments:

  1. Okay, you talk too much but I loved every word :) What a sweet post, Marysol - and I love the look and sound of yours sweets! I'm going to have to raise my hand as one who has never tasted a Kolache. I know I should seek help immediately. The lacquered peaches look gorgeous!

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  2. You don't talk NEARLY enough.

    Ah peaches. I have about 10lb of nectarines to deal with and now peaches are on sale for 99cents a lb this week. Can I resist??? It's now cool enough for canning and there's a nectarine cobbler on it's way to a friend today. To me apples are utilitarian but peaches and mangoes are just plain lusciouus.

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  3. I love that fragrant fruit! Both recipes are irresistible! Until now, I have not had the opportunity to make kolaches, but you've given me the urge to remedy that situation very soon!

    Great kite picture!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  4. Ahhh ...... le cerf-volant et le fils bien-aimé:)

    Oh yes..the dessert aussi!

    You have to get out more often for my happiness.

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  5. yummmm...those kolaches look divine. I will definitely miss peaches :(! Gorgeous photo, you captured their yumminess very well :D.

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  6. I make Kolachy..
    Never as pretty as yours..
    DH is Ukrainian, they make them..we even argued about a recipe..so I hid his Ukrainian cook book.so that will never happen again!

    The peach dessert looks decadent...

    Good to see you, Sol...Happy school year to your little guy! Happy no school year to me, retirement is all it is cracked up to be!! :)

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  7. Awww Susan, thank you for shutting me up.
    And I should mention, Kolaches are a 'new' favorite with me. I've been baking a while, but never thought to try them either. So, make room in that straitjacket for me.


    Maureen, you're sweet. Although I don't think Jim would agree with you. But, he'll just have to live with me.
    Btw, if peaches are still on sale in your area, give into temptation, and stock up. You could always freeze them, so you can be the envy of the neighborhood when the temperatures drop, by baking a peach cobbler, or pie, or whatever strikes your fancy.


    Rosa, 20 minutes of chasing Thumper around the yard, and a rapid heartbeat later, was all it took to get something other than a blur on my viewfinder.


    Sweet Monique, je pense que vous ete une peche!
    ...or something to that effect. I hope my French will keep you amused.


    Hi Sophie! And thank you! But I think Mother Nature beat me to the punch on those peaches.


    Kathleen, I didn't know you had just retired. Congratulations on your newly-found freedom! I wonder how the staff will manage without your humor.
    In any case, I hope your DH finds that Ukrainian cookbook and sends it to me, before you get too comfortable with it!

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  8. Amiga, keep chatting, as I love every word you say (or write, in our case):) Thank you for yet another batch of wonderful recipes. I especially loved the Kulachi. I think it is Kulichi in Russian and Ukranian. Looks delicioso!

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  9. You better keep talking, I'd miss it! That boy is one handsome kid! Glad you said kite and not long walk off a short pier :)

    You have been one busy woman! Glad to see you posting with more frequency, I need the laughs! and the food porn! Always fantastic shots, and fantastic recipes!

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  10. Marysol, just wanted to say that I always love your comments! They bring a smile to my face and make me giggle :D. Have a great weekend!

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  11. I love your Kolaches ;) If that is in Polish "kolacze" [pronounced: kolache] is plural and "kolacz" is singular word.
    It means some kind of round pastry but I must admit I have never tasted them.

    Beautiful pictures like always :)

    Margot

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  12. I love white peaches..but I dont know if it is just me..but the peaches this year just didnt float my boat. They seemed to be lacking in flavor.
    But, your peaches look anything but flavorless!
    YUM

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  13. OH Sol - such gorgeous photographs and delicious-looking desserts. Color me green-with-envy at your ever-impressive talents!!

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  14. Fari, thank you mi amiga for egging me on! [G]

    Hah! Carol, it is the boy who keeps me busy. I suppose other parents deal with the same shenaningans. Or at least, the ones with children.

    Sophie, your comment made my Monday feel more like a sunny, Saturday afternoon, with free candy and balloons. Thank you!

    Thank you Margot! The subject of kolache/kulachi has certainly been educational.

    Leslie, that sucks. Peaches and nectarines were particularly good this summer in Timbuktu. That hasn't always been the case though, so I've been hoarding them this year.

    Lori, I think I may be hearing the British anthem playing in the background. I'd better go practice my wave.


    Thank you all for stopping by, and for your help in creating a monster!

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  15. Marysol, it's like you are reading my mind. I was plotting a last peach dessert for summer (don't know if I'll actually get to it) and I just read about kolaches yesterday and I'm dying to try some.

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  16. Have a good Wednesday!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  17. Wow I love the name "lacquered peaches" but the photos make it look even more appetizing. They look like they've been given a good coating of sugar sweet shellac.

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  18. love all your peachy creations. It sounds like you had a wonderful summer ^^ I think you don't talk enough (as in blog) hehe

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  19. You keep talking, dear, I will keep licking the screen :-)!

    Greetings from London.

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  20. School time can be quiet here too. :( And I hardly ate any peaches this summer, those kolaches look great!

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  21. NC, I got the hint, and I think you're right [G]

    Cubano, it's great to see you. Welcome!

    Thank you all very kindly!

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  22. Beautiful post Sol! And I love the look of the peach dessert. We do get peaches here but they're not very fresh or sweet.

    Like Thumper I used to be an avid kite flyer. Think they are the most fun!
    Cheers,
    Sharon.

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  23. Your peaches look divine! And I am another who has never tasted kolaches...
    Love your photographs too.

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  24. Such great peach recipes and I love that very first photo!

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  25. Sharon, you may not get great peaches, but the fertile soil in your part of the world makes up for it, by growing two of my favorite tropical fruits, mangoes and papayas.

    Barbara, I found kolaches are great breakfast fare, especially lightly toasted.

    Robin, I loved the peaches in the first photo too, every blessed one :)

    Thank you all very kindly. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  26. What a beautiful blog, and with such stunning photos! Truly beautiful. I love it. Your lacquered peaches, and the kolaches, both look divine.

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  27. WE are so due for another chapter here:)

    I miss seeing new posts from you..I think of you and your pretty photos often:)

    Could you just not post one itty bitty thing pour moi?:)

    Je pense à vous~

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  28. Thank you Jane! It's no secret I love peaches, but I'm so ready for Fall's comforting, stick-to-your-ribs, soups and stews, and all that comes with it.

    Messy bird coop, my Monique! As a kid, running track, I was always one of the last ones to make it to the finish line. And it appears, not much has changed since those days. I suck.

    Je pense à vous, and the wee ones too.

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  29. Hola Sol. Just dropping by to check out your beautiful pink peaches again. I almost bought some mango and papaya today but decided on nectarines instead as those we buy here are so very juicy! Have a good week. Un abrazo, Sharon.

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  30. I'd forgotten how much fun your blog was, Marysol. You a chatterbox? Surely not ;)

    I'm drooling over those lacquered peaches, but kola-what? Forgive this hick from the farthest east.

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  31. Sharon, decision making is not my forte, so all those fruits would've come home with me. One major reason DH hates shopping with me.
    Hugs right back!


    Dee, I've been wondering where the heck you've been. And now that you're back, all is right with the universe!
    Squeeze!

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  32. what a delightful post! I love your pictures..so beautiful...I have yet to go to your past posts..im going to enjoy them i know. I love sugar art too and Ive made some for friends and family. so enjoyable. tq for having sucha wonderful blog and sharing :))

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  33. Zurin, thank you for the kudos. I'm always happy to meet a sugar artist!

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