Peach Cobbler

This peach cobbler is the best. In my family, we call this a cobbler, but it's really more of a deep dish pie.

I love peaches and I especially love fresh-picked peaches! While growing up, we vacationed in Michigan every summer and picked bushels of fresh peaches. Some would be eaten fresh, sometimes we made peach butter, and others would be peeled and sliced into bags and frozen to enjoy throughout the year.

I like to blanche my peaches. I find this is the easiest way to quickly peel a lot of peaches. In a large pot of boiling water, add several peaches and boil them for 30 seconds. Remove peaches from boiling water and immediately place in ice cold water until cool. Then all you have to do is grab the skin and it will come right off! Super quick and child-friendly since you don't even need a knife!

This recipe does work with frozen peaches just keep in mind that your finished pie may have more juice. Adding an extra Tablespoon or so of flour can help with this.

The only thing that makes this pie better than it already is - vanilla ice cream! This pie is best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

This pie crust recipe is from my Grandma Salzer. She was such a good cook and baker. Grandma loved to watch cooking shows and wrote down at least half a dozen recipes a day! This is the only pie crust I use and I'm always getting compliments on it. Thanks Grandma!

The Deep-Dish Peach Pie recipe is slightly adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Peach Cobbler Recipe

Crust:

2 cups flour

3 tsp. sugar

1 1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 cup vegetable oil

4 Tbsp. cold milk

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar, or to taste 

4 Tbsp. flour

8 cups peeled, thickly sliced fresh peaches

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp. butter 

For the crust measure flour, sugar, and salt into a 9x13 pan and mix well. Measure oil in a measuring cup then add the cold milk. Whip liquid with a fork. Pour liquid in pan with dry ingredients and mix well. Reserve a small ball, about the size of a plum, and put to the side. Press into place keeping the bottom even and going 3/4 the way up the side.

For the filling combine sugar and flour. Add the mixed sugar and flour to the sliced peaches and toss to coat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Pour filling into the unbaked crust and spread evenly. Top with small pieces of the leftover dough and dot with butter. 

Bake in a 375 degree F oven 45-55 minutes until the crust is golden. 

What's your favorite way to eat fresh peaches?
Comment below!

Megan

Chocolate Strawberry Layer Cake

I enjoyed making this smooth chocolate cake with a mixture of frostings and fillings! This summer-y chocolate cake is perfect for any of your summer gatherings. Chocolate, fresh fruit, and cool whip for a light, cool summer treat.

I did make a few different layers. First, I iced the bottom cake with chocolate icing and layered it with strawberries topping with a layer of cool whip. I added another layer of strawberries and cool whip so the top layer would have something to stick to.

I used the chocolate frosting to ice the top and then used the rest of my thinly sliced strawberries to decorate the top.

I used almost 2 pounds of fresh strawberries for this cake!

Thanks to NellieBellie.com for the chocolate cake recipe!

Chocolate Cake Recipe 

3/4 cup soft butter

3 eggs at room temp.

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa 

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder 

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups milk

Grease pans (either 2 round 9 inch pans or one 13x9) and either flour or coat with cocoa. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Beat butter for 30 seconds or so. Slowly add sugar.

Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Beat in vanilla.

Add dry ingredients beating after each addition.

Add half of the milk, beat, and then add the other half. Beat just until everything is nicely combined.

Spread batter evenly into pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes for round pans, 5 minutes or so longer for a 13x9 pan. Watch them! A toothpick inserted in the middle that comes out clean means it is done! 

Let cool completely before icing. 

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

1/2 cup soft butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk

Beat ingredients together. Add additional cocoa, sugar, and milk to taste.

Note: I did not ice my whole cake, I left my sides bare. If you are making this to ice the whole cake I would double or triple this recipe to make sure you have enough frosting.

What's your favorite cake/fruit combination?
Comment below!

Megan

Rhubarb Custard Bars

I had these once and I knew as soon as I got my hands on some rhubarb that I would make them! The recipe makes a 13x9 pan of these sweets so make sure you have somewhere to take them or you will literally want to eat them all!

My favorite part of these sweet bars is the crust!! Crisp and buttery. :) Is there anything as good as a perfect pastry crust?? It smelled amazing while in the oven.

These custard bars are so pretty before you add the topping! Rhubarb sure is a pretty color! You want to cool the bars completely before adding the topping.

Because the frosting is made with heavy whipping cream, it takes longer to set-up than if you use cool whip in the frosting. The heavy whipping cream definitely adds better flavor though.

I was not completely happy with the topping, I thought it was lumpy. Originally, the recipe said to whip the heavy cream and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture. After researching some other recipes and cream cheese frosting, I changed the recipe so that you whip the heavy cream into the cream cheese. It mixes so much better and is more smooth! 

Rhubarb Custard Bars Recipe

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup cold butter

Filling:

2 cups sugar

7 Tbsp. flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 large eggs, beaten

5 cups finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed & drained

Topping:

6 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

In a bowl combine the flour and sugar; cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Press into a greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, for filling, combine sugar and flour in a bowl. Whisk in cream and eggs. Stir in the rhubarb. Pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until custard is set. Cool. 

For topping, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add the heavy whipping cream into the mixer, beating well until peaks are formed. Spread on top. Cover and chill. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator. 

Makes 3 dozen. 

Recipe from Taste of Home. The only thing I changed was the process of making the topping. 

A great cold, summer treat! 

What's your favorite rhubarb recipe? 

Comment below!

Megan