It’s August…otherwise known as the month that Texans wonder why they live in Texas! But besides the scorching temperatures and seatbelt buckle branding irons, August also means that school is just around the corner. Before school lunches, schedules, and report cards take over every thought – enjoy one last pool party or backyard barbeque with friends and one of these great recipes featuring some of our favorite summer fruits, available at your local Brookshire Brothers!
Amaretto Peach Parfaits
from Catering with Kate
4-6 cups sliced peaches
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
½ cup good quality amaretto liqueur
8 ozs mascarpone cheese
½ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1-2 packages Amaretti or almond shortbread cookies
½ cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar just to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool completely. Add amaretto and mix well. In a large container with a lid, mix sliced peaches with the amaretto syrup. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. In an electric mixer, beat mascarpone cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Set aside. With an electric mixer and the whip attachment, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold ¼ of the soft whipped cream gently into the cheese mixture until well blended. Continue whipping the remaining cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into the cheese mixture, cover well, and refrigerate until ready to assemble. Crumble ½ of the cookies and leave ½ whole.
To assemble: In parfait or dessert glasses – add 3-4 sliced peaches with a small drizzle of the amaretto syrup, a small spoonful of mascarpone cream, 2-3 whole cookies and a small handful of cookie crumbs. Repeat layers 2 times (depending on the size of your glasses). Add another scoop of cream on top, another whole cookie, and a sprinkle of toasted almonds. Chill for up to 1 hour before serving.
NOTE: Amaretti cookies will get soft very quickly. If you prefer a bit of crunch in your dessert – wait until just before serving to add the top cookies and almonds.
Peach Blueberry Upside-Down Cake
Original Recipe from www.howtocakeit.com
For the batter:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
For the cake:
6 peaches, pitted and sliced into 8 wedges each
¼ cup butter
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Whipped Cream, for serving
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10” round cake pan with butter. Line with parchment paper on the bottom and sides and grease the paper with butter. For the batter: Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, and cream until well mixed. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. To the mixer, on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the milk. Continue alternately adding the dry ingredients and milk, ending with flour. Set the batter aside. In a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add ½ the peach slices, sliced side down and not overlapping. Sauté for 1 minute and then flip to the other side. Sprinkle the slices with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and sauté for another minute. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining sliced peaches, butter, and brown sugar. In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg. To assemble the cake for baking: In the bottom of the pan, arrange your peach slices in a single-layer, fanned out from the center, close together, but not overlapping. Sprinkle blueberries on top of peach slices. Carefully spread ½ of the cake batter over the fruit. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, swirling it into the batter, and then spread with the remaining cake batter. Bake the cake at 350°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15-20 minutes before inverting it onto a cake stand and removing the parchment paper. Serve warm or room temperature with whipped cream!
Recipe courtesy Kate Rudasill.