Peach Upside Down Bundt Cake

Evenin' friends!

Excuse my lack of new recipes, things are NOT slowing down!  I am getting a lot of recipe writing done, now to get some recipe making done!  As I was making a midnight run to Walmart the other night, I noticed when I walked in I could literally SMELL the peaches.  Not being a huge fan of the peach, I sort of poo-poo'd it and moved along.  I had to come back by the produce again and the smell was just incredible so I picked up a few.  I knew my husband and kids would love dessert with some fresh peaches. 

I decided to treat them much the same was a pineapple upside down cake.  I wanted a beautiful pound cake to be the cake part though and I have my moms sour cream vanilla pound cake recipe and thought it would be the perfect marriage.  Boy WAS it!  That baby was gone before I could even get coffee made to go with it!  I do have a tip.  Blanch your peaches.  Toss them in boiling water for 5 minutes and then let cool, the skin will come right off.  Hairy peaches (shutters).  Yuck!

I hope you make and enjoy!  I make mine in a bundt pan but feel free to use an 8x8 or 9x9 square.  Same toothpick rules apply, your baking time will be slightly decreased I would guess!

3 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray all over the sides and inside of pan.  Place melted butter in the bottom of the pan.  Swirl around until the entire bottom is covered.  Sprinkle in brown sugar all over the top of the butter and then place sliced peaches on top of the brown sugar.  Place them in a design or just spread them around!  Remember this will be the top of your cake in the end!  Set aside and mix up your cake batter.  In a mixing bowl cream together softened butter and sugar.  When it is creamy and smooth, add in eggs and sour cream.  Continue to mix until mixture is thoroughly mixed and creamy.  Add in vanilla and baking soda and mix in, completely.  Now add in flour and mix JUST UNTIL combined.  Pour this mixture evenly (might need to spoon it) over the peaches and even out the top.

Bake for 45-60 minutes.  Start checking at about 40 minutes.  When a toothpick comes out clean, it is done.  Let sit 3 minutes, and then turn out on to a cake plate! 

Enjoy!

Jam Squares

Good evening!  Hoping this finds you enjoying time at home, after a day of work or school and relaxing!  I am at my parents house, my sister is making me breakfast, I have coffee in my hand, and enjoying being the youngest, and being waited on! HA!  Seriously, I know all you "youngsters" think it, I just am brave enough to SAY it! HA!

I got this recipe SO LONG AGO from a dear reader, Michelle.  Michelle is from South Africa, (now living in Belgium) but when I asked her about sending me a recipe, she hit the nail on the head!  I am so grateful she took the time to send it, and at the same time, sorry I haven't made it before now!  OH MY GOSH, this is amazing.  This recipe I am told is a staple in South African homes, and very traditional.  Now you know how I generally feel about fruit.  Well, this throws out all the rules.  I LOVED this.  I mean, L O V E D this!  It just proves my point that you must always try what you think you won't like, because you just never know when you might like something you didn't think you would! 

I think you could use ANY kind of jelly with this.  It is traditionally made with apricot, and I accidentally grabbed peach.  Holy yum batman.  I made this in an odd size pan, but it worked perfectly.  Use a jelly roll pan, or whatever you want to use.  I mean, you know how I roll, just do whatchawannado. 

Here we go, and again, thank you Michelle for sending this and it has become a staple.  It is so easy and so quick, you just can't say no!!

Jam Squares
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
1 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1- 18oz jar of apricot or peach jelly

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
Cream the butter, oil, sugar and egg together.  Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until a dough forms. 
Using 2/3 of the dough, push it into the bottom of your greased pan.  Spread the entire jar of jelly evenly over the top. 

Take the last 1/3 of the dough and crumble it over the top of the jelly. 

Bake until the top becomes golden brown.  I seriously can't remember how long I baked it.  I think it was 20 minutes.  However, literally, when the top becomes golden, it is done.

Let cool about 15 minutes and cut into square. 

Now the truth of the matter is, I just mixed all of the ingredients together in my stand mixer.  It came out perfectly.  So whichever way, tickles your fancy, go with it!

Your "doinwhatIwannado" Chefwannabe

Zee fruit and zee pizza meet..

and what a wonderful meeting it is.  I swear this is proof there is no bad way to eat pizza.

We all know we have tried some fruit pizza recipes before.  They are all good.  I mean, I don't even like fruit and they are all good.  So I would imagine to the fruit lover, they are a little piece of heaven.  In fact, I am visiting my son next month and this is a definite MAKE for him, he is a fruit fanatic and he is going to love it.

So, for your information, you know that useless info holder in your brain?  The place where people tell you stuff you don't really give a flip about goes?  Well I have decided I know why I don't like fruit.  Growing up, as I have said before in a family of 12, (10 kids), we didn't eat fruit alot.  It was expensive and we ate what we grew.  It was likely much to expensive for my mom to buy on a regular basis, I am sure we had it semi regularly.  Not like my son who had tons of fruit at his beck and call at all times.   Oh how times change.  Regardless, I have embraced and owned my dislike of fruit and I DO try to hack down some strawberries or apple slices once in awhile.  If I find a soft spot, GRROOOSSSSSS, I am completely done!

This fruit pizza can easily have its fruit changed out.  Next time I am going with strawberries, blueberries and rasberries.   I am not a huge peach fan, in fact I don't like them at all, but they were on sale.  And I know, you know. how THAT goes!  I used some premade cookie dough.  Sue me.  Make your own if you have that kinda time to fill.  Let's move along!

1 roll sugar cookie dough
1 8oz. pkg cream cheese softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp milk
3/4 cup white chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup mini marshmellows
2 peaches, sliced
1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to temp suggested on cookie dough.  Press out unto a parchment lined pizza pan.  Notice I used foil?  Notice I said use parchment paper?  Yea......exactly. 

Bake for recommended time.  Mine took about 12 minutes.  I undercooked it a couple of minutes because when I sliced the pizza I didn't want it crumbly, I wanted a soft cookie crust!

While it is baking mix together, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk and 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips. Set aside.

When cookie crust is done, take it out of the oven.  Spread mini marshmellows all over the crust, put back in the oven, turn the oven OFF and let sit for 3 minutes.  They will puff up but you can use a spatula and press them down flat when you take it out.  Let cool 5 minutes.  Spread on cream cheese mixture.  Cover entire pizza, leaving a small border.  Arrange fruit however you like or just pile it on!

Melt remaining white choc chips in a bowl and drizzle (or in my case "plop") it ever the top of the pizza.

There you have it.  EASY, quick, and oh so sweet and tasty!  Well, I mean if you like fruit! HA!

Your "non tooty fruity"chefwannabe