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Peach Ginger Ale

Again with the peaches, I know. So many. So many.

My all time favorite ginger ale is Boylan’s.  It’s the epitome of a perfect ginger ale. Not too spicy, not too sweet.  I’ll actually spend the $4.99 to drink this 4-pack, as a family, on occasion.  But heck, if you can make ginger ale, that’s even better.  Plus, I can alter how much sugar goes into it.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup ginger, peeled and cut into 1 inch rounds

2 cup water

1 cup of sugar (I do prefer 1/2 cup, but that is a less sweet version)

4 peaches, peeled and sliced

one 2-liter of sparkling water (refrigerate beforehand)

DIRECTIONS:

Place ginger, water, sugar, and peaches in a saucepan.  Whisk.

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Bring to boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to “marinate”; producing a syrup. Strain the syrup into a bowl and allow to cool.  In a large pitcher, place the  refrigerated sparkling water, and the cooled ginger-peach marinade along with some ice cubes. Enjoy! So simple and so much cheaper.

 

 

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Peach Galettes with Cashew Creme

We have a plethora of fresh vine-ripened, sun-kissed Washington peaches on our hands.  We are freezing, pureeing, dehydrating, juicing, and full of recipe ideas.  This afternoon, I made some wonderful peach galettes that I served alongside some vanilla ice cream and garnished with a dollop of cashew creme & sprinkle of powdered sugar.  The galette dough was nice and flaky, while the peaches the perfect filling. Serves 12.

PASTRY DOUGH:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. barley flour

2 Tbsp. of organic cane sugar

pinch of sea salt

1 cup of spectrum spread shortening, plus 2 Tbsp.

2 Tbsp. of flax-seed meal

2 Tbsp. of almond milk

2 heaping Tbsp. of coconut creme

FILLING:

1 cup brown sugar

6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 heaping tsp. of cinnamon

1 Tbsp. of rum enhanced vanilla extract (by Edwin & Lesha extracts)

12 peaches

CASHEW CREME:

1 cup cashews

pinch sea salt

1 tsp. rum vanilla extract

1/2 cup filtered water

2 Tbsp of agave syrup

* powdered sugar (as garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the pastry dough, combine the flours, sugar, and sea salt.  Whisk thoroughly. Scatter the shortening over the flour and use a pastry blender to make a fine crumble. In a bowl, whisk together the flax meal, milk, and  coconut creme until fluffy. Add the flax meal blend to the pastry dough blend and with a spatula, fold into one another until gently mixed.  Do not over mix, as the dough will be tough.

2. Form the dough into a ball (do not knead), and flatten onto plastic wrap until 1 1/2 inches thick.  Wrap flat in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. When the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

4. Remove the dough and allow to sit at room temp.  While this is happening, prepare the filling. In a small bowl, stir together organic brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, & vanilla. Peel the peaches and slice. In a small bowl, coat the peaches with the sugar mixture.

5. On a large sheet of parchment paper, dust with parchment.  Place the dough in 12 small balls.  Using a rolling-pin, flatten each dough ball into 3-4 inch wide circles.  (they are messy circles). Place a 2-3 Tbsp. of peach filling into the center of your rolled out dough. Gently fold in the corners in a single layer in concentric circles, continuing until you reach the center of the round. Do not overfill, as the juices will drip while baking.  Brush the pastry border with safflower oil.

6. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Allow the galette to cool on a baking sheet on a wire rack.

7. While the galette is baking, place cashews, sea salt, vanilla extract, water, and agave into a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small container and refrigerate for 1 hour.

8. Serve the galette with a dollop of cashew creme and sprinkle of powdered sugar, and ice cream if you please.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

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Peaches!

Peaches. The name alone makes me think of a boy from high school who showed his “peaches” to girls walking the hallways.  The name also reminds me of Ice Age and the code for giving birth to the wholly mammoth baby. But really, the true reason for my love of the name peaches is for all of the wonderful desserts I’m inspired to make.  Peach Pie, Peach Smoothies, Peach Tarts, Peach Cobbler, Peach Sorbet, Peach sauce for vanilla ice cream, Peach Galettes, Dehydrated Peaches, Peach Granita, …. the list goes on.