That’s Just Peachy!

Hooray!  Fresh, ripe, beautiful peaches are here! Who doesn’t love peach cobbler or homemade peach ice cream? Not only are peaches very yummy, but they are also quite good for you. They are rich in many vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds. They are easily incorporated into a large variety of dishes, may offer impressive health benefits including healthier skin, fewer allergy symptoms, and improved digestion and heart health. Peaches are very versatile and can be added to your diet in many ways. They can be eaten raw, baked, grilled, broiled or sautéed and can be used in sweet or savory dishes as well.

Last summer I found a recipe for peach cobbler cookies, so of course, I had to try it. The directions didn’t seem that difficult, just make the cookie base and then stir in the chopped peaches. What it didn’t say was that the batter would be very stiff, so stirring in the peaches required some muscle power. I had a better idea – I would ditch the spoon and just use my hands!

Since I was going to be “playing” in the dough, I decided to take off my wedding rings so they wouldn’t get all gooey. A little voice in my head said, “That is probably not a good idea”; I did it anyway. I laid the rings in a “safe” place on the island and proceeded to mix the peaches into the dough with my hands.

While the cookies were baking, I started to clean up my mess. I picked up a towel that was laying on the island and heard something fall to the floor. Yes, it was one of my rings. I picked it up and started looking for my other ring, but it wasn’t on the island or the floor.

I dug around in the disposal and trash can, crawled all over the floor looking under cabinets and in corners – no ring. I thought maybe it had bounced into the next room, but after a thorough search, no ring. The most obvious conclusion was that it was baking inside of a peach cobbler cookie! That would be pretty awkward since I was making these cookies to take to a luncheon.

I was very nervous all through the luncheon hoping no one broke a tooth while biting down on my ring, but also hoping someone would find a pretty little ring in their cookie. Neither of those things happened. My ring was gone.

I checked online to see if I could find another ring like it. Nope; I was just going to have to accept the fact that I was never going to find that ring. Life goes on.

Several days later, I took a carton of eggs out of the fridge, opened it up and couldn’t believe my eyes. There was my ring propped on top of an egg in the carton like a royal crown! What serendipity! How it got there still remains a mystery, but I did learn a lesson. It’s better to have messy rings than missing rings!

If you want to make Peach Cobbler Cookies, there are many recipes for them on line. If you want a less labor-intensive way to make a delicious peach dessert, try these Peach Napoleons. (You can leave your rings on for this one!)

Peach Napoleons

  • 2 cups of sliced fresh peaches
  • ¾ cup of sugar, divided
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 large sprig of fresh lemon balm or mint, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 6 cinnamon graham cracker sheets, halved to make 12 squares
  1. In a large bowl, toss together peaches, ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, and lemon balm or mint. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  2. In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream and remaining ¼ cup sugar at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir in vanilla.
  3. Place 1 graham cracker square on a plate: top with a dollop of whipped cream and a few peach slices. Repeat layers twice, omitting peaches from the final layer.
  4. Top with a sprig of lemon balm or mint. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 3 more Napoleons.

– Becky Lynn is a writer for EllisDownHome.com. She and her husband Bob enjoy spending time with their 8 grandchildren and traveling. Becky loves cranking up the music and heading to the kitchen to try out new recipes or cook for an upcoming party. She is passionate about continuing to be a life-long learner!

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