Creamy Peach Delight

I know the calendar says it's fall, but it's been in the 80s here in Denver. And the peaches are at their peak! So it's time for one more summer dessert. We bought a peach tree in the spring and planted it in our backyard. I was happy that we actually got some peaches off of it, and that they ripened before the first frost here in Denver. Regrettably, the peaches were small and few, so I needed to find a new recipe to try since there weren't enough peaches for my favorite peach dessert. I found a recipe on the internet and it was a big hit with our dinner guests. I have altered it slightly so the crust is not so thick (I felt that it overshadowed the peaches, which should be the star). So stock up on some ripe peaches and treat yourself to a last taste of summer!

Creamy Peach Delight
For the crust:
12 whole graham crackers, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup white sugar

For the filling:
4 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup milk
1 pint heavy cream
1/3 cup white sugar
6 large, fresh peaches; peeled, pitted, and sliced.

Directions:
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Mix well and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan, reserving 1/4 cup for topping.

Heat the marshmallows and milk in a pan on the stove over low heat until marshmallows are completely  melted. Remove and cool.

Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 cup sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Mix with the cooled marshmallows. Spread 1/2 of mixture over graham cracker crust. Layer the sliced peaches on top, then cover with the rest of the marshmallow/cream mixture. Sprinkle reserved crust over the top and refrigerate until time to serve.

Award-winning Peach Torte

My mom grew up with this recipe. She made it often while I was growing up, and now I make it! When I was a teenager, I submitted this recipe (without my mother's knowledge) to the local newspaper in Bellevue, Washington for their recipe contest. I think my mom was surprised when she was notified that she had won! Subsequently, we had a reporter and photographer come to our house to take pictures of this lovely dessert and to write up a story about my mom and this dessert. It is the perfect summer dessert--so fresh and delectable!

First, you have to get the right kind of peaches, though. I recently read some tips for getting the best peaches. The first one goes along with what my mom always says--if you can't smell them, don't buy them. You should be able to smell them as you walk by in the supermarket. Secondly, look for a buttery yellow color around the stem. If it's green, they were picked too early. If it's wrinkly, they were picked too long ago. That's basically it! For this recipe, the juicier the peaches, the better! (I have made this with woefully underripe peaches, and it is still good--just not AS good).

Peach Torte

1/2 cup (1 cube) melted butter
2 to 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 Tbsp milk
a few chopped walnuts (optional)
1 package graham crackers (1 package usually has about 12 crackers in it)
10 to 12 peaches
1 container whipped cream (or Cool Whip)

Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When boiling, blanch peaches by putting them into the water and then removing to a cold water bath after one minute. As peaches cool, crush all the graham crackers (a food processor works well for this). Spread in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Mix together the melted butter, powdered sugar, milk, and nuts. Pour over the graham crackers.

Skin the peaches (skin should easily slip off unless you get really underripe peaches, in which case, you must suppress all temtation to curse and just peel them with a knife or potato peeler). Hold each peach in your hand over the graham crackers and sugar mixture and cut the peach into slices letting the juices drop into the pan. Continue until all the peaches have been cut. Spread Cool Whip over the top, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate. (You can also save some of the graham cracker crumbs from earlier and sprinkle them over the top for a decorative effect). This sounds like a lot of work, but it's not that bad, and it's SO worth it!