Oh, the sweetness of peach season! There really is nothing like a warm from the sun, fully ripe peach - even if I have to steady myself dealing with the peach fuzz. Still, a few shivers as I peel the fragrant peaches is certainly worth the slight discomfort with peach fuzz.
I love to make diminutive desserts, but since I couldn't find my little pie tins ( gone, no doubt, after an abundant family gathering and the leftovers line) I used the traditional white ramekins with just a little disc of pastry on the top, sprinkled with sugar and fresh thyme leaves. To the juicy bowl of cut up peaches, I added tiny pinches of cinnamon, thyme leaves, and pepper with spoonfuls of honey . The bubbling juices and meltingly warm peaches made a wonderful brunch dessert.
I had some leftover pastry dough in the freezer, so I used that, but here is the recipe if your freezer is bare:
2 cups King Arthur flour
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 T. sugar
2 sticks ( 16 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water
Place the flour, salt and sugar in food processor bowl using the steel blade. Pulse a few times. Add butter and brocess until the butter is well incorporated. With the motor running, drizzle the ice water into the dough until it forms a soft ball.
Remove, briefly knead, and pat into a rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least an hour before using.
The peaches:
You can either use an oven , or, since I was only making tiny pies, I used the toaster oven.
Set oven to 350F.
Each ramekin took two peaches, cut up, to fill, for a total of six peaches.
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6 medium peaches, peeled and cut up
6 tablespoons of good honey
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
1 t. fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stem plus more for top
a few grindings of fresh pepper
Toss and scoop the peaches into the ramekins.
Roll out the dough and use a large glass or cookie cutter to cut out discs of dough.
Place dough discs on top of peaches, sprinkle with sugar and thyme leaves. Cut a few slits in the top of the dough to let the steam out.
Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, or until top is browned and juices bubbling.
Let cool before serving!
Enjoy - and Happy August!
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What I'm reading:
This looks yummy -- and there is nothing like herbs in a sweet but I've never tried peach and thyme.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha - I'm delighted you enjoyed these little "pies"! I wish I could remember what tasted so wonderful last year with slivers of basil - I'm sure it was a fruit. Anyway, I do think thyme and honey go together well, and the perfume of fresh peaches? Perfect.
ReplyDeleteYou always make everything look fantastic, and this really does look like it tastes amazing.
ReplyDeleteBless you, j.r. and many thanks! I got the idea for honey and peaches after watching a show on Greek food: honey and peaches, honey and any delicious fresh fruit - and threw in those lovely branches of thyme. So perfect.
ReplyDeleteAren't ripe peaches just about the most heavenly fruit? (okay, the fuzz not so much, but we can just overlook that one tiny flaw!!)
ReplyDeleteThis recipe sounds delicious too - if I can save enough peaches to make it. Fresh peach season should last a lot longer.
Hi Barb!
ReplyDeleteI agree - but then I suppose we'd get blase about peaches, wouldn't we?
Hoping to pick up some more this week from Susie at the Farmers Market - this time for jam making. Nothing like opening a jar of peach jam in February: pure summer!