buttermilk pancakes with chunky peach sauce

Maybe it was because we finally had a few cool mornings and evenings, or perhaps it was that little bowl of peaches sitting on the counter that had me wake up with a lust for buttermilk pancakes with peaches.  I couldn't ignore that longing for more than 24 hours, so hungry I was for that first forkful.  So here they are:  puffy plump pancakes and a mouthful of juicy peaches with a spoonful or two of our glorious local honey.


Buttermilk Pancakes:

Makes six small pancakes.

1 cup King Arthur flour
pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of nutmeg, or a few scrapings on a grater
1 tablespoon mild olive oil or melted butter
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons water

Mix the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and nutmeg in a bowl.

Add the egg, buttermilk, oil or butter, and water to the dry ingredients and whisk until blended.  Use one small ladleful for each 4 inch pancake.

Cook pancakes on medium, using a mild oil or melted butter.  They cook quickly, and are very fluffy, so keep your eye on them.

*****

Chunky Peach sauce:

You'll need enough peaches to make at least one cup of mashed pulp.  First, dip the peaches into a pot of boiling water, leave for a few minutes, then spoon them out.  When cooled, the skins will pull right off.  

In a small pot place:

1 cup or more mashed or diced peaches
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
a quick squeeze of half a lemon

Simmer gently until slightly thickened, then spoon onto pancakes, and drizzle a little honey over the peaches and pancakes. 

Happy eating!

old fashioned peach cake

The glorious peach season continues, I'm happy to say. And, while I'd thought of making some peach and ginger jam for winter, I just couldn't put the idea of a fluffy cake topped with juicy peach slices and sprinkled with sugar out of my mind. And, because I knew I'd have to "taste" it, I put the diet aside - maybe until turnip season. There would be no chance at all I would be tempted to make a turnip cake, or turnip anything.

I adapted this from a southern cookbook and The Silver Palate cookbook. I baked it in an 8" x 2" cake pan; part of a wedding cake set I have that I love because of that two inch lip. And it's heavy , so cakes don't burn.

To make:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease an 8"x2" round cake pan.

For the cake:

4 T. softened unsalted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup King Arthur all purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 t. baking powder

large pinch of salt

2 T. topping mix( see below) plus more for the top

four or five peeled and sliced peaches

Cream the butter and sugar in mixer bowl. Beat in the egg and 2 tablespoons of the topping mixture, then add the flour, salt, and baking powder and milk.
Scrape into the cake pan.
Arrange the peach slices in a circular pattern, then sprinkle with sugar and the topping mix.
Bake for 35 minutes, until the cake is firm in the center when gently touched.
Let cool very well before cutting into slices.

The topping mixture:
4 T. soft unsalted butter
1/4 t. nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/3 t. grated lemon peel
1/3 cup sugar
Mix until combined.
I use this both in the batter, and on top of the cake.

Enjoy the season!