Celebrating the Season of Peaches in Southwest Michigan

I owe a big thank you to Nancy Perry, chairperson for the 2018 Coloma Glad Peach Festival who sent in the winning recipes from the annual Glad Peach Bake Fest Winners. The three-day festival, held the first weekend in August, celebrated its 51^st year.  There were four categories with Mallory Spaulding winning both first place in the Breads/Muffins/Coffee as well as Best of Show, Sherry Bachman who too first in Cookies/Bars, Kendall Bachman for Pies/Pasties and Sherri Ulleg for Cakes/Cupcakes.

First Place: Breads/Muffins/Coffee Cakes & Best of Show

Mallory Spaulding’s Peach Streusel Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients for muffins:

½ cup softened/salted butter

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon all spice

2 large eggs – room temp

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup yogurt (any kind)

3 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cup chopped peaches (approximately 3 peaches)

1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Crumb Topping:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

½ teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Crumb topping:

Mix sugars, cinnamon, melted butter with a spatula, mix in flour.  Topping will be crumbly.  Set aside.

For the muffins, beat butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.  Add brown sugar, granulated sugar and beat until creamed.  Add eggs, yogurt and vanilla extract.  Beat for 1 minute then increase speed to high.  In separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, all spice and salt.  Pour wet ingredients into dry and slowly mix.  Add milk until combined and little lumps remain.  Fold in peaches with a wooden spoon.

Next, pour batter into 12 muffin tins.  Press a handful of crumble topping into each muffin.  Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then decrease to 350 degrees and bake for 15 to 19 minutes.

For glaze, whisk all ingredients together and drizzle over warm muffins.

First Place: Cookies/Bars

Sherry Bachman’s Peach Cream Cheese Cookies

Makes 4 ½ Dozen Cookies

5 cups pecans

4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1-1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Peach jam

Coarsely chop 1-1/2 cup of pecans and spread on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Whisk together flour and salt in large bowl

Beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla and beat for another minute

Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in the flour/salt until just combined.  Do not over mix.  Fold in toasted pecans.

Transfer dough to work surface and divide the dough in half.  Shape each half into an 8 inch log about 2 inches in diameter.

Wrap each log in plastic wrap and put in freezer for about 4 hours…or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Finely chop remaining 1-1/2 cups of pecans.  Unwrap one of the logs of dough and rolls in the pecans.  Cut into ¼ inch thick rounds.  Space 1 inch apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.  Rotate the cookies halfway thru to ensure even baking.

Let cool on the sheets for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

Dip cookies in peach jam and remaining 2 cups chopped peaches.

First Place: Cakes/Cupcakes

Sherri Ulleg’s Peach Pound Cake With Maples Cream Sauce And Candied Pecans

Cake Ingredients:

1-1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp

6 large eggs

3 cups white sugar

3 cups flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 medium peaches (peeled, pitted, diced)

Sauce Ingredients:

5 tablespoons maple syrup

1-1/2 cup heavy whipped cream

4 tablespoons light corn syrup

Pecan Ingredients:

16 ounces pecan chips

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons water

1 egg white

To make cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease Bundt pan well and sprinkle with 3 tbsp of flour.  Shake pan to coat, then tap out excess.  Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add in eggs one at a time until yolk disappears. Add in vanilla extract.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on low until light and fluffy (about 4 mins).  In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda.  Add the dry mix to the butter mixture in batches, alternating with the sour cream.  Mix on low until just blended.  Add 1/4 flour to peaches and toss until coated.  Fold peach mixture into batter gently, making sure peaches are mixed evenly throughout.  Add batter to Bundt pan, filling about ¾ full.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool pan for 15 minutes, then invest cake onto a dish.  Cool completely before adding sauce or other coating.

To make sauce:

In a medium sauce pan, combine heavy whipping cream, maple syrup and corn syrup.  Heat on medium heat, stirring regularly.  Allow sauce to simmer and reduce for 10 minutes.  Cool the sauce in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before drizzling over cake.

To candy pecans:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  In medium bowl, mix egg white, vanilla and water.  Whisk until frothy.  Add pecans and coat completely with the egg mixture.  In a Ziploc bag, combine sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Add pecans and shake.  Bake mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring the pecans every 15 minutes.  Cool completely, then sprinkle over cream sauce on cake top.

First Place: Pies/Pastry

Kendall Bachman’s Peach Cream Cheese Pie

Serves 10

Ingredients For Pie Crust:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

¾ cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened

3 tablespoon heavy cream

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Place cream cheese and butter in food processor and pulse for 10 seconds, then pour in cream and pulse for 20 to 30 seconds or until fluffy.

Scrape down sides and add in flour and salt, then pulse again until mixture comes together and starts pulling away from the food processor.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth, then divide dough in half.

Shape halves into discs and wrap both tightly in plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 1 hour and transfer to pie plate.

To bake:  preheat oven to 375 degrees for 11 minutes or golden brown.

Ingredients for Peach Bavarian Cream Filling:

1 5.1 ounce package instant vanilla pudding

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2-5 tablespoons milk

1 cup chopped peaches

Beat whipping cream on high until stiff peaks form.  Run the mixer on low while slowly sprinkling in the pudding powder.  Mix until fully mixed.  Add milk 1 tbsp at a time to reach spreading consistency.  Add more milk for a thinner filling.  Add peaches.