Peaches & cream crepes

Juicy, nectar-sweet peaches are one of the joys of summertime eating. In this southern-inspired dish, they are tucked into crunchy cornmeal crepes and then warmed in the oven until piping hot, to create a breakfast to linger over. A dollop of buttery mascarpone and a dusting of sugar provide the perfect finishing touches.

 

Peaches and Cream Crepes

 

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground

2 large eggs

5 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. granulated sugar, plus more to taste

1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

4 peaches, halved, pitted and thinly sliced

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Canola oil for cooking

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

About 2 Tbs. heavy cream

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

 

To make the crepe batter, in a blender, combine the milk, flour, cornmeal, eggs, 2 Tbs. of the butter, the 1 tsp. granulated sugar and the salt. Process until smooth. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice and sugar to taste, and toss to coat evenly. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to allow the peaches to release some of their juice.

 

Lightly oil a 7-inch nonstick frying pan and place over medium-high heat until hot. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and tilt the pan to cover the bottom evenly. Drizzle a little batter into any holes. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip and cook the other side until golden. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed and stacking the crepes, separated by parchment or waxed paper, as they are ready. You should have 10 crepes, or 2 more than you need (the extra crepes are the cook’s treat!).

 

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with some of the remaining 3 Tbs. butter. In a small bowl, using a fork, stir together the mascarpone and enough cream to create a creamy mixture, then stir in granulated sugar to taste. Set aside for serving.

 

Place 1 crepe on a work surface. Spoon one-eighth of the peaches in an even layer on half of the crepe, then fold over the other half to cover. Fold the crepe in half again, to form a triangle. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with 7 more crepes and all of the peaches. Brush the tops of the filled crepes with the remaining butter. Bake just until hot throughout, about 5 minutes. To serve, place 2 crepes on each plate. Crown the crepes with a dollop of the mascarpone cream, and then sift confectioners’ sugar over the top. Serve at once. Serves 4.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Like this one.  It's made with creamy peanut butter, sea salt and milk chocolate chips.

It's like if one kid had a room full of trophies and the other always got stuck out in left field.  It kinda gets my maternal adrenaline flowing.

 

You know I love these slice and bake shortbread recipes.  Who wouldn't love to have a log or two of cookie dough hanging out in their fridge?  You can get all the measuring and mixing and messy hands out of the way early and then have the luxury of fresh dough waiting at your beck and call.   Let me put it another way: when you've got this dough in the fridge you're 12 minutes away from nirvana.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
oven to 325 
makes about 21 small cookies 
1 stick, (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temp
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
scant 1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

• Cream the butter and the peanut butter together in a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, or a wooden spoon.  Beat in the vanilla.


• Whisk the dry ingredients together and add to the butter mixture.  Mix until the dough comes together.


• Stir in the chips, and turn the dough out onto a piece of waxed paper.  Gently pull the dough together and form it into a log.  If it is still crumbly, work it with your hands until it holds together smoothly. Roll it up in the paper, smoothing the shape as you go.  Twist the ends securely and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.


• Slice the log into slices with a sharp knife. Not too thick, not too thin, about 1/3 inch.  If a slice crumbles a bit, just smoosh the dough back together.  These don't have to be perfect disks.


• Bake on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet at 325 for about 12-14 minutes.  The cookies will  not be browned, and they may look undone, but don't over bake.  One of the joys of shortbread cookies is that they fall apart and melt in your mouth.


• Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack.

These cookies have a melting texture, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you about the magical combination of peanut butter and milk chocolate.  They'll even stick a wee bit to the roof of your mouth...have a cold glass of milk ready.