Baltimore Peach Cake

Sharon, this one's for you:

A high school friend of mine ( Sharon) was originally from Baltimore, Maryland.
She shared this recipe, so I decided to post it on my blog.
This is definitely a cake that I'll be making and adding to my favorites.

Here are two recipes for Baltimore Peach Cake:

Baltimore Peach Cake Recipe..."this tastes just like the ones we used to get from Catonsville Bakery long ago. I make it every peach season."  "Yum."  (From a Baltimore Friend on our Baltimore Memories,  Facebook Page)

1¾ C white flour, divided, (bread flour recommended)
¼ C sugar + additional for sprinkling the dough.
½ tsp salt
1 package active dry yeast
2 TBS butter, softened
½ C hot water
1 egg
¼ C seedless raspberry jam
Sliced fresh peaches, about 5.

1. In a large bowl, combine ½ C flour, sugar, salt and undissolved yeast. Add butter and beat for a few seconds on medium speed.

2. Gradually add hot water and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping sides of bowl. Add egg and ½ C flour, and beat on high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl.

3. Mix in remaining ¾ C flour, mixing until smooth and elastic. Roll into ball, let rest for 5 minutes, spread in bottom and up the sides of a cookie sheet or 9x13 pan. Let rise until doubled in volume, about an hour. Meanwhile, peel and slice peaches.

4. Press dough down a little and spread with raspberry jam. Assemble peaches on top of dough, sprinkle with about ¼ C. sugar. Top can be glazed with a little melted peach or apricot jam if desired.

5. Bake at 350° until dough is done and edges are browned, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if you like.



Baltimore Peach Cake #2:

Makes 2 - 9" round cakes or one sheet pan -  12”x17”.

1 package yeast (fresh or dry)
1/2 C warm water
1 tsp plus 1/4 C granulated sugar, divided
3 1/4 C flour, divided
3/4 C milk,room temperature
1/4 C plus 1 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS vegetable oil

7 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/2 C brown sugar
1 TBS unsalted butter
1 TBS cornstarch
1/2 C  of Bonne Maman peach or apricot preserves

1. Make a sponge first by dissolving the yeast in 1/2 C warm water in a mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer, mix well.. Add 1 C flour and 1 tsp of granulated sugar. Mix well on low speed until incorporated, about a minute. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow sponge to rise for about 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.

3. Stir the yeast mixture again. It should be smooth and silky. Add it to  the remaining sugar, salt, 1/4 C softened butter, milk, and 1 C flour, in a stand  mixer with a paddle attachment, Mix well, incorporating the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour on low speed. 

4. Knead the dough in the mixer using the paddle attachment, for about 3 minutes.

5. Put light coating of vegetable oil on sides and bottom of a 2-quart bowl, place dough in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm draft free place until double its original size. At this point, the mixture should be the consistency of wet puffy bread dough. In the mean time in a small bowl, combine brown sugar, butter, and cornstarch and set aside (this mixture does not have to be well mixed—the butter can remain in chunks).

6. Butter the cake pans or sheet pan and line bottom with parchment paper. ( I butter the paper too). I also have a Pan release mix that I use and the recipe is available on the Blog)  Stir dough to deflate. Divide dough in half with dough cutter if using the cake pans. Using a rolling pin and some flour, roll the dough into the shape of the pan but it should be slightly smaller than the pan. Place one in each pan. Arrange slices of peaches on top of dough in nice, neat concentric circles.

7. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over peaches, cover pan with plastic wrap and allow cake to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place.

8. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and arrange rack to the middle of the oven

9. When dough has risen to almost double in size, remove plastic wrap and bake peach cake in the middle of the oven. Reduce the heat to 350 and bake for about 35 minutes.

10. Heat apricot or peach preserves in a saucepan. Using a pastry brush, coat the entire top of peach cake while it is still hot from the oven.  

Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, Clotted Cream or a dusting pf Confectioner's Sugar.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Almost home from vacation.........!

I will be home soon from my 6 week vacation in Europe. I've had some amazing food in France and England. I will blog about it and post photographs when I return. I hope everyone has had a chance to continue finding great recipes here, trying them and Enjoying Peace in the Kitchen!
Terry

Vacation

I'm still on vacation and I've had some amazing food in Europe. I hope to recreate some of the food and post recipes and pictures when I return to the States.
I thought I'd have more time to continue posting recipes, but we've been very busy, and that's a good thing.
I will get back to blogging soon.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Salted Pistachio Bars with Lime Zest

I seem to post too many dessert recipes. Don't think that's all I eat. I post them for all of my readers that are looking for something yummy and sometimes decadent. We serve desserts to our Dinner Club gatherings with neighbors and for Family gatherings. We do not eat sweets daily. I also enter two major food competitions annually. One of them is a Holiday Cookie Contest and the other one is a Hatch Chile Contest that can include something sweet. I am constantly in pursuit of new recipes for both contests.
This recipe is a contender for the Holiday contest in the Bar category.

Salted Pistachio Lime Bars

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
1 - 9" X 9" Baking Pan brushed with Pan Release Mix. (equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil and Flour) I start with 1 C of each mixed well and refrigerated in a jar. I always have it available for all of my baking needs.


14 TBS Butter, melted
1 C chopped White Chocolate
3 Eggs
3/4 C Granulated Sugar
1 C Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 C Chopped Salted Pistachio Nuts
The Zest of 2 Limes (additional for garnish)
Confectioner's Sugar to dust the Bars just before serving.

Melt the Chocolate in a Microwave.

In a large mixing bowl:
Eggs
Sugar
Flour
Salt
Whisk well by hand.

Gently fold in Butter and Chocolate.
Fold in Nuts and Lime Zest by hand

Pour Batter into the Pan.
Bake 30 - 35 minutes.

Remove the Pan to a rack and cool for 10 minutes.
Invert the Pan onto a flat surface and release the Bars to cool completely.
Sprinkle the top with additional Lime Zest.
Dust the top just prior to serving.

Cut into Squares to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Crumb Cake Cookies

I'm always in pursuit of cookie recipes for a Holiday Cookie Contest that I enter every year. This one may be a recipe to consider.
It's a cross between a cookie and a coffee cake. It would be a great breakfast cookie too.


Crumb Cake Cookies:

Here's what you'll need:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
1 - 1 3/4" Cookie Scoop
Set aside a bowl of Confectioner's Sugar and a small sieve for dusting the final cookies.

Cookie ingredients:

10 TBS Butter
1/3 C Shortening
1 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
2 Large Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
3 1/3 C Flour

Crumble ingredients:

8 TBS Butter, room temperature
1/3 C Brown Sugar
1/3 C Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1 2/3 C Flour

Topping preparation:

In a mixing bowl with a blending fork:
Butter
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Salt
Flour
Mix well to form a crumble.
Refrigerate until needed.


Cookie preparation:

In a Stand Mixer with a Paddle Attachment:
Butter
Shortening
Brown Sugar
Granulated Sugar
Beat 3 - 5 minutes.

Add:
Cinnamon
Eggs
Vanilla
Beat until incorporated.

Add:
Baking Powder
Salt
Flour
Beat just until combined.

Use the cookie scoop and drop the dough 2" apart on the Sheet Pan.
Create an indentation in each cookie with the back of the scoop.
Gently press 1 TBS of Crumble into each cookie.

Bake 9 - 10 minutes.
Remove the pan to a rack and cool for 10 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to the rack and cool completely.

Sprinkle the finished cookies with a light dusting of Confectioner's Sugar.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Christmas Pound Cake

I love this cake.......... it's about Christmas and that's really what I like! I love recipes that are made during the Holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are so many recipes that families make every Holiday and pass the recipes down through generations. This is one of those family recipes that should be made every year. It can be a tradition!

Christmas Pound Cake

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
1 - 9" X 5" Loaf Pan brushed well with Pan Release Mix. (equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil and Flour. I start with 1 C of each mixed well and refrigerated in a jar. I always have it available for all of my baking needs.

1 - 16 oz. jar of Red Maraschino Cherries and a jar of Green Maraschino Cherries, drained and finely chopped.
Press between paper towels to absorb any excess liquid.
Set aside.
8 TBS Butter
1 1/3 C Granulated Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1 1/2 C Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 C Sour Cream
1/2 tsp Vanilla

In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium Speed:
Butter
Beat until creamy.
Add Sugar and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.

Add:
Eggs
Beat just until combined.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together:
Flour
Salt
Whisk well.

Fold in all of the Cherries by hand with a silicone spatula.

Add Flour mixture to the Butter mixture alternating with Sour Cream.
Beat on low just until mixed after each addition.

Stir in the Vanilla by hand.
Pour the batter into the pan.
Bake 1 hour.

Remove the pan to a rack to cool for 10 minutes.
Invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely.
Invert again, right side up, onto a serving platter.

Serve with homemade Whipped Cream or Dust each serving with Confectioner's Sugar.


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Fresh Pineapple Gratin

Here's a great summer dessert recipe made with a fresh pineapple.

It's baked and served hot with your choice of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream that could be flavored with a bit of dark rum or served plain.

Here's what you'll need:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1 - Sheet Pan lined with Parchment Paper

1/2 C Shredded Sweet Coconut

1/2 C Crushed Gingersnaps

1/2 C Finely Crushed Macadamia Nuts

1/2 C Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 TBS Dark Rum 

1 Large Ripe Pineapple, leaves intact and cut in half lengthwise.

Remove the core from each half with a sharp paring knife. 

In a small bowl:

Coconut

Gingersnaps

Macadamia Nuts

Mix well and set aside.

Place the Pineapple Halves on the Sheet Pan cut side up.

Drizzle each half with 2 TBS of the Condensed Milk Mixture.

Sprinkle each half with 1/4 C of the Coconut Mixture.

Drizzle each half with an additional 2 TBS of the Condensed Milk Mixture.

Bake for at least 15 minutes , until golden brown.

Scoop out to serve.

Serve with your choice of Vanilla Ice Cream or Homemade Whipped Cream with a bit of Dark Rum.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!