In the Kitchen: Peaches

via here

Peaches

Oil on Panel

Jeffrey T. Larson

For more his work

www.jeffreytlarson.com

I intimated to a friend recently that I primarily use store bought cookie mixes when baking.  With one exception...fresh-peach drop cookies.  A treat only for the summertime when fresh peaches are available

my peach inspector

So good, worth bringing out the mixer and making a mess in the kitchen

The secret ingredients...ripe peaches and peach preserves

Beat butter (at room temperature) and sugar on medium high speed...

until fluffy

Peel, pit and dice two peaches

Mix slowly only to combine

Add peach preserves, working it into the dough

With an ice cream scoop drop dough on parchment lined baking sheets

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar

Bake at 375 for 11 to 13 minutes

Allow to cool...and most important, keep them away from the curious and sneaky

The picture above reflects only half the recipe.  Best when served warm, so I reserved the other half of dough to bake the following day

Recipe via

Martha Stewart

• Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 3/4 cups)

• 1/3 cup peach jam or preserves

• 2 tablespoons fine sanding sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.
2. Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Add peaches and jam, and beat until just combined.
3. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing about 2 inches apart. (If not baking all of the cookies at once, refrigerate dough between batches; dough can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.) Combine sanding sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle each cookie with 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon-sugar mixture.
4. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 11 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, and then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Cook's Note

These cookies are best the day they're baked. They will soften at the edges after a couple of days, but they'll still taste delicious.