Peach Tartlets – Vegan
I had friends visiting from out of town and wanted to make them a special dessert. They are vegan. I decided to make these tarts. Making them vegan wasn’t hard at all. I just used coconut oil in the crust recipe instead of butter. The crust worked out fine, although it is very crumbly. The texture after baking is amazingly tender, but I found the dough a little harder to handle than when made with butter. I would make this crust again, even if I didn’t need a vegan version.
I used homemade peach pie filling made with peaches I had. You can use store bought pie filling, but I include the recipe at the bottom of the post. The recipe makes just over 2 cups of filling. I had crust left over.
I made 24 and used a little over half of the dough recipe. Had I rolled them out a little thinner, half a recipe would be enough.
Peach Tartlets
dough for 1 pie crust- recipe follows
About 2 cups peach pie filling, room temp or chilled – recipe follows
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out circles of dough. Place dough circles in mini muffin or tart pans. Press them in gently being careful not to tear them. Repeat with remaining dough and re-roll scraps. You’ll end up with about 24 dozen in all. If you don’t have enough pans, keep the extra dough circles under a towel or plastic wrap so they don’t dry out until you are ready to use them. Place a rounded teaspoonful of peach pie filling into each of the tartlet shells in the prepared pans. Don’t over fill. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Can be served hot, warm or at room temperature. Makes about 2 dozen.
Note: If I rolled the dough thinner I could have made more like 3 dozen.
Can be frozen. To reheat take straight from the freezer and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven and bake for about 20 minutes, but check after 15 minutes.
Flaky Pie Crust
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
3/4 c. coconut oil, chilled – you could use butter, lard or shortening
1 T. cider vinegar
4-5 T. cold water
Combine flour and salt in food processor and add coconut oil. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Toss in vinegar and water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing as you add, until dough just holds together. Remove from processor and press dough together to form a ball. Chill at least 30 minutes before using. Makes enough for 2 pie crusts or up to 48 tarts.
Peach Pie Filling
3 cups diced peaches
3/4 c. sugar
3 T. water
3 T. cornstarch
2 t. cinnamon
Heat peaches and sugar in a saucepan until bubbly. Stir to prevent sticking. Combine water and cornstarch and add to the peach mixture. Heat until thickened and bubbly. Add the cinnamon, too. If the mixture is too thin, add a little more cornstarch and water. Sometimes the peaches are extra juicy.
Peach and Blueberry Cake
This cake is the perfect summer dessert. It is moist and filled with the fruits of summer. It also travels well, so you can box it up and take it along to the park for a picnic or to a cookout.
The cake is pretty simple to make. The batter can be mixed by hand- no need for long beating times or for getting out the mixer. In the time it takes to preheat the oven, you can have the cake ready to bake.
The batter and fruit are layered in the pan, along with the cinnamon sugar.
I added a citrus/powdered sugar glaze, once the cake was cooled, but it is optional.
So here is the recipe.
Peach and Blueberry Cake
1 c. oil, I used avocado oil
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. lime juice- you can use lemon, instead
3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
3 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1½ c. blueberries- fresh or frozen
½ c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon and set aside
Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. lemon zest
2 T. lime juice- or enough to make glaze of pouring consistency.
Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Combine oil, eggs, vanilla and juice. Stir until smooth. Set aside. In medium bowl combine flour, 2 cups of sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine dry ingredients, then add the oil/egg mixture. Stir until batter is smooth. It will be thick. Place ½ of batter in prepared pan. Arrange peach slices on batter and top with the blueberries. Combine the ½ cup of sugar with the cinnamon. Sprinkle on ½ of the cinnamon mixture. Pour on remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. Bake 45 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool. Serve the cake as is, or make the citrus glaze and drizzle it over cooled cake. Serves 12.
Peach Cheesecake Squares
I love peaches and I love cheesecake. Never thought to combine them before. Wow, what a great dessert!! With peaches in season, it seemed like the perfect time to make it.
This recipe was inspired by a post I saw about a place that makes peach cheesecakes. I decided to make a less traditional cheesecake. I used a 9×13 baking dish instead of a springform pan. I also ended up making the cheesecake in layers. Let me explain.
I baked the crust a little, then added the cheesecake layer to bake. I was trying to figure out the best way to add the peaches. I decided to put them on after the cheesecake was baked, so I cooked them while the crust and cheesecake layers were baking. The crumb topping was an afterthought. I wanted some texture and just put that together at the end.
The result was a really good dessert. Enough peaches. Light and rich at the same time. I will most definitely make it again.
So here is the recipe. Enjoy!!!
Peach Cheesecake Squares
Crust
¾ c. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1¼ c. flour
1 c. oatmeal, old-fashioned or quick cooking
2 t. cinnamon
¼ t. salt
Cheesecake Layer
2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
¾ c. sugar
2 T. flour
2 eggs
2 T. vanilla
2 t. cinnamon
Peach Layer
5-6 peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped, about 5 cups prepared fruit
2/3 c. sugar, or a little less
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. cinnamon
4 T. cold water
2 T. cornstarch
Crumble Topping
1½ c. rolled oats
½ c. butter
¼ c. brown sugar
3 T. flour
2 t. cinnamon
Heat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Beat together butter and brown sugar, then stir in the rest of crust ingredients. Mixture will be crumbly. Press into bottom of prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. While crust is baking, prepare cheesecake layer. Beat cream cheese sugar and flour until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over crust and bake for 25 minutes, or until set. While filling is baking, prep peaches. Combine peaches with sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until peaches are softened. Stir off and on to keep mixture from sticking. Combine cold water and cornstarch. Stir until smooth and pour into peach mixture. Mixture will thicken up. Stir until mixture returns to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Prepare crumble topping. Mix all ingredients with your fingers until well blended. Place on a baking sheet and place in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. You can do this while the cheesecake is baking, to save time. Let the cheesecake cool a few minutes. Then spoon over the peaches. Spread evenly and let it cool for 30 minutes. Spread the crumble mixture over the peaches. Cool then chill. Store covered in fridge. Serves 12. Can be frozen.
Creamy Peach Sorbet
This is an easy and refreshing dessert. Perfect for summer. It has a thick, creamy texture and deep peach flavor. Even better- no cooking and no ice cream machine required. You will need a food processor, though. After I made the sorbet, I realized that I love it and don’t make it enough. I seem to freeze lots of strawberries and blueberries, but don’t freeze many peaches. That is changing. I will most definitely be freezing more peaches.
There are two steps to this recipe and you will need to allow freezing time. Actual prep time is pretty minimal. I have made this before and added vanilla of cinnamon. I didn’t this time, but feel free to play with flavors. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!!
Creamy Peach Sorbet
6 ripe peaces
2/3 c. sugar , or to taste – you can use honey or other sweeteners of your choice.
Peel peaches and remove the pits. You don’t need to remove every last bit of peel. Throw away the pits or plant them. Dice the peaches. Combine peaches with sugar and stir together. Freeze in shallow pan. Remove peaches from freezer and allow to soften enough to break into chunks. This should only take a couple of minutes. Place in processor and blend until very smooth. Serve immediately or return to freezer until ready to serve. Makes about 1 quart.
Note: When it works out perfectly, the peach sorbet looks sort of creamy. You might think there is dairy in it. Having the peach mixture as frozen as possible before putting in the processor is the secret. Only soften enough to break up, but don’t let the peach mixture get too melty. If you think your sorbet isn’t creamy enough, you can freeze it again, then process in the food processor a second time.
Fresh Peach Sorbet
This is an easy and refreshing dessert. Perfect for summer. It has a thick, creamy texture and deep peach flavor. Even better- no cooking and no ice cream machine required. You will need a food processor, though. After I made the sorbet, I realized that I love it and don’t make it enough. I seem to freeze lots of strawberries and blueberries, but don’t freeze many peaches. That is changing. I will most definitely be freezing more peaches.
There are two steps to this recipe and you will need to allow freezing time. Actual prep time is pretty minimal. I have made this before and added vanilla of cinnamon. I didn’t this time, but feel free to play with flavors. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!!
Creamy Peach Sorbet
6 ripe peaces
2/3 c. sugar , or to taste – you can use honey or other sweeteners of your choice.
Peel peaches and remove the pits. You don’t need to remove every last bit of peel. Throw away the pits or plant them. Dice the peaches. Combine peaches with sugar and stir together. Freeze in shallow pan. Remove peaches from freezer and allow to soften enough to break into chunks. This should only take a couple of minutes. Place in processor and blend until very smooth. Serve immediately or return to freezer until ready to serve. Makes about 1 quart.
Note: When it works out perfectly, the peach sorbet looks sort of creamy. You might think there is dairy in it. Having the peach mixture as frozen as possible before putting in the processor is the secret. Only soften enough to break up, but don’t let the peach mixture get too melty. If you think your sorbet isn’t creamy enough, you can freeze it again, then process in the food processor a second time.
Peaches and Cream Crepes
Peaches are such a natural addition to any summer dessert. I decided to use some of my fresh peaches in crepes. Crepes are a nice dessert any time of the year. I think especially nice in summer, using fresh, seasonal fruit.
The crepes were filled with peeled, sliced peaches that had been tossed with sugar ahead of time. The sugar softens the peaches a little. I also added some sweetened cream cheese and a little strawberry jam to the filling. We loved them.
They can be assembled ahead of time, and just kept chilled until ready to serve. Serve as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar or even a vanilla caramel drizzle- recipe follows.
Peaches and Cream Crepes
1 recipe basic crepes- recipe follows
2-3 peaches, pitted and sliced thin
¼ c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ c. powdered sugar
Strawberry jam, optional
Make a batch of basic crepes and set aside until ready to use. Place
sliced peaches in a bowl with sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and stir until
sugar is dissolved. Best to do this at least a couple of hours before
you want to use them. This softens the peaches and allows juices to come
out of the peaches. You need the juices for the cream cheese. You can
do this the day before, then just finish the cream cheese and assemble.
Place cream cheese in a bowl and start beating with an electric mixer.
Drain juices off the peaches and add the juice to the cream cheese. Add
the powdered sugar, too. Beat until cream cheese is fluffy.
To assemble the crepes: Place a crepe on work surface. Spread with some of the cream cheese. Along one side of the crepe place a small amount of strawberry jam, like a stripe. Place several slices of peach in a row, on top of the strawberry jam. Starting on the side of the crepe with the peaches gently roll up the crepe. Repeat with remaining ingredients. You will have 12. Serve as is, or you can top with powdered sugar, peach slices, warm jam, whipped or caramel sauce – recipe follows.
Basic Crepes
3/4 c. flour
1/8 t. salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 T. melted butter
3/4 c. milk, approximately
Butter or oil for pan
Beat together flour, salt and eggs until smooth. Stir in melted
butter and then stir in milk until batter consistency is that of cream.
Let stand for 30 minutes before using, or can be refrigerated, covered,
overnight. Beat again, just before using.
Heat 6 or 7 inch skillet. Brush with butter or oil and pour in about 2
teaspoons of batter, tipping pan to cover bottom of pan completely with
batter. Cook until edges start to brown, turn over and cook until
lightly browned (about 2 minutes per side.)
Crepes can be made day ahead or even frozen between sheets of waxed paper and frozen. Makes 12.
Vanilla Caramel
I made a light caramel sauce for the crepes. I just put 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan with a cup of sugar. Boiled it all together for about 3 minutes. Removed from the heat and added a teaspoon of vanilla, 4 tablespoons of butter and a 1/4 cup of half and half. Stirred until smooth, then added a pinch of salt, for extra flavor.
Crepes with a vanilla caramel drizzle
