Peach Wow!

 

The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook by Ree Drummand has 5 star after 5 star recipe.  I’ve tried over a handful and my family has raved and ahhed over each.  With a couple lugs of peaches in the frig, I made plans to try her Peach Crisp.  It did NOT disappoint.  I recommend you try it today!

Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce

Peach Pie

Yes, it’s that time of year.  The peach trucks roll into the biggest towns nearby and I dutifully trek to town and stand in line for my lug … or two of sweetness.  I’m hoping to capture a lug or two tomorrow, in fact.  While we’ll eat quite a few with cream or just plain, our favorite dessert is Grandma Golden Acres’ Peach Pie.  A Peach Pie any other way just isn’t the same.

Grandma Golden Acres’ Peach Pie
Unbaked 10 inch pie shell – you can use the Never Fail  Pie Crust recipe I just posted or use your favorite recipe.  You can use a smaller pie crust, but you should decrease the cream/sauce or you will have leftover – I’ve been known to eat this alone.  Fill the bottom with peaches; heaping is what I prefer.  You’ll need about 5 or 6 large peaches (if your peaches are smaller, you’ll need 7 or 8).  Pour the following sauce, well mixed, over the peaches:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup cream
• 1 tsp. almond extract

Top the pie with a second crust & crimp the edges.  Cut slits in the top if you haven’t already done something else decorative.  I always place the pie plate on a large baking sheet or pizza pan to prevent spills from reaching the oven.  I’d also recommend placing thin strips of aluminum foil around the crimped edge to prevent it from burning.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 50 minutes.  Remove the aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or Cool Whip!

Never Fail Pie Crust …

for real … it’s never failed me.  Even when I’ve used whole wheat pastry flour or substituted coconut oil for the shortening.  The coconut oil, by the way, is delicious!

Never Fail Pie Crust

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 heaping Tbls. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup lard, Crisco, butter or coconut oil
• 1 egg yolk
• Milk

 

Directions:

Mix together with a fork the flour, sugar, salt and shortening.  Slightly beat the egg yolk and add enough milk for 2/3 cups liquid.  Mix together the 2 mixtures.  Makes four 1-crust pies or 2 double crust pies.

*If you use coconut oil, you may need to add an additional 1/3 cup flour for the correct texture & ‘roll-ability’.

**I have frozen the dough with good results.  Divide the dough into four portions.  For the portions you will freeze,  put each in a ziploc baggie.  Then, place them in another baggie – essentially double bag them.  Thaw fully in the refrigerator before using the dough.  The outside of the dough ball may be slightly colored upon thawing, but the color won’t be noticeable after baking.

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Keeping ahead of the green & yellow zucchini!

 

Coming up with different ways to use zucchini has been elusive.  Mainly because by the time I ‘find’ my zucchini they’ve grown to the length of baseball bats and the diameter of at least a softball.  However, if I can harvest every - or every other - day and get the squash when they are smaller, it’s much easier to keep ahead and use them up faster.  This dish is a take-off of a recipe I found in a magazine.  The seasoning is mild and not too spicy.

 

Mexican Spaghetti

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. ground beef
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 8 oz. spaghetti, broken into thirds
• 1 Tbls. olive oil
• 5 or 6 small zucchini (I used both colors), cut into slices

Directions:

If you haven’t already browned the meat, do so now.  Drain it and set it aside.  Saute the sliced zucchini in the olive oil until softened & slightly browned.  Set aside. 

In a large skillet – I used my wok because it’s large & non-stick – combine the water, tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, salt & cumin.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in the spaghetti pieces; return to boiling.  Boil for 6 to 7 minutes.

Add the zucchini.  Cook an additional 4 minutes or until the spaghetti is tender.  Stir in the ground beef.  Serve immediately.

Grandma Eva's Sponge Cake

Recently received this email from my mom (I edited the title & text just slightly to eliminate ‘email-speak’ and protect identities) …

Suzie,
Was going through my recipe's looking for bar recipe's … and I found a recipe from Grandma for Sponge Cake with 12 egg yolks.  Don't know if you remember it - but I made it a few times - sponge cake is rich.  I like it plain, but I remember Dad liked it with a thin orange or lemon glaze.  So here it is:

Grandma Eva's Sponge Cake
3 cups Cake Flour
4 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
12 Egg Yolks
2 Cups Sugar
1 Tbsp Grated Orange Rind
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 Cup Boiling water
Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt - Beat egg yolks until thick and light colored.  Gradually add sugar, beating until very thick and light colored.  Beat in orange rind, lemon juice and boiling water.  Fold in flour and put in tube pan.  Bake 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Invert 1 hr.