SOFT, BRUISED PEACHES

A fantastic crisp or cobbler can be made with any bruised or overripe fruit that you find in the fridge or on the counter. If you decide to substitute harder fruits like apples for peaches, cook the crisp for 10-15 minutes longer or until the fruit is soft when pierced with a skewer.

Level 2
(Slightly) Stewed Peach Compote
Serves 4 to 6

1-2 cups of juice, water or both (to cover fruit)
½ cup Triple Sec or Grand Marnier or your favorite liqueur
1-2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. zest from clementines, tangerines or oranges (the white underside, or pith, removed)
3-4 over-ripe peaches, pitted, and sliced
½ cup dried fruit, such as cranberries, pears, apples, apricots, prunes (optional)

1. Over medium heat, bring liquid to a boil. Add liquor, sugar and zest; lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved.
   
2. Add in fresh, and if desired, dried fruit. Stir mixture with wooden spoon, taking care not to break up fruit. Cover pan. Simmer until fruit is tender but not overcooked. Test for doneness with a wooden toothpick or thin skewer.
   
3. Transfer to dish or storage container, and chill in refrigerator.
   
4. Spoon over ice cream. For an added bonus, garnish with Florida Sunshine Sugar Cookies made with orange zest.

   Level 2
Rustic Peach Crisp
Serves 4-6

1 stick butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup dried oatmeal
6 peeled, sliced soft peaches, bruises excised
1 Tbsp. rum or your favorite liqueur
1 cup fresh raspberries, blueberries or strawberries (optional)
2 Tbsp. butter
Garnish: rum raisin ice cream or whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

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Cooking Tip (for peaches): One easy peeling method is to drop whole peaches into a pot
of boiling water for approximately 2 minutes. Remove peaches using a soup ladle and lower immediately into a bowl of iced water for about 5 minutes. Remove from water and peel.
Skins come away from the pulp practically by themselves. Be sure to catch all the juice
by peeling over the bowl!
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2. Pulse together butter, sugar, flour and dried oatmeal in a food processor fitted with a blade until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
   
3. Toss cut peaches gently with rum. Add optional berries at this time.
   
4. Spoon half the flour mixture into a buttered, square baking pan, followed by a layer of the peach berry mixture, and finish by topping with remaining flour mixture. Dot with butter.
   
5. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until caramel brown and crispy. Serve at room temperature, and for an added treat, top with rum raisin ice cream or whipped cream.

Level 2
Impressionable Peach Sorbet-on-a-Stick
Serves 4-6

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
8 cups peeled soft peaches, bruises excised and puréed

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Serving Suggestions: If Popsicle® forms are unavailable, use ice cube trays. Insert decorative toothpicks into the center of each ice cube when partially frozen for mini popsicles. Or let harden (about 1-2 hours), then remove cubes and pop into your favorite beverage.
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Use the same mixture to make Italian-style peach granita, no ice cream maker required.

Level 2
Impressionable Peach Granita
Serves 4

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
8 cups peeled soft peaches, bruises excised and puréed
½ tsp. vodka, tequila or rum
Garnish: fresh berries

Serving dish: wine glasses

1. Cook sugar and water, stirring together until sugar fully dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add peaches and mix well; simmer another 10 minutes. Mix in a half a teaspoon of vodka – enough alcohol to prevent the granita from becoming too hard.
   
2. Pour mixture onto cookie sheet in a thin layer, place in freezer and as it begins freezing - about 15-20 minutes later run a fork across the crystallizing mixture to rough it up. Return it to the freezer for another 15-20 minutes and repeat the process once or twice more until it resembles coarse Italian granita.
   
3. Spoon gently into storage container with tight-fitting lid and return to freezer until ready to serve. Before serving, allow granite to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly.

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Serving Suggestion: Scoop into wine glasses. Decorate with fresh berries.
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