At only 3 net carbs, I am adding this keto friendly, grain free peach muffin to my keto bakery for the next few weeks. I’ve sent out a few testers to rave reviews.

I’m rushing to print because peaches have a short season. I get mine from the Peach Truck, where I am guaranteed the sweetest, best peaches. We look forward to them every year. See Nashville Peach Truck schedule here.

I have done everything imaginable with peaches included a peach pork bolognese, peach sangria and a grilled peach salad, and this is one of my new favorites because it’s easy and it’s sweet treat.

What grains do I use for Grain Free Peach Muffins?

Grain free is also gluten free. I am using mostly almond flour and coconut flour. Eggs add to the structure of the crumb as does a scant amount of xanthan gum. Sour cream aids in flavor and richness.

What sweetener do I use for grain free peach muffins?

I use powdered erythritol, specifically the Swerve brand, but you can use the Lakanto brand also. I use Swerve in my bakery and I’ve written here about why I use it.

I’ve kept this recipe very simple. A little vanilla extract, fresh juicy peaches, almond flour and a bit of coconut flour, eggs and sour cream come together for a perfect muffin texture.

Variations

Mix blueberries or blackberries, fruit that loves to mix with peaches. Serve these muffins with some Rebel sugar free ice cream or this stabilized whipped cream 

Or make in a skillet like the recipe below.

What is the nutritional value for grain free peach muffins?

This recipe makes 12 to 14 servings.

12 muffins: Each muffin has 205 calories. Net Carbs: 3     Fat: 17   Protein: 6

14 muffins: Each muffin has 175 calories, Net Carbs: 2    Protein: 5   Fat: 15

More Related Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Grain Free Peach Almond Tart
• Low Carb, Grain Free Skillet Berry Cake
• Spinach Salad with Grilled Peaches
• Grain Free Blueberry Crumb Muffin
• Keto Flag Cake

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Grain Free Peach Muffins

Grain Free, Keto Friendly Peach Muffins

Course Keto Muffins

Cuisine American

Keyword grain free muffins, keto muffins, low carb muffins, peaches

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Calories 205kcal

Ingredients

• 2 medium peaches
• 1 cup Granulated Swerve (Powdered Erythritol)
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 6 eggs
• 60 grams sour cream
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 260 grams almond flour
• 26 grams coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• baking spray

Instructions

• Please read through the recipe, set out all ingredients. Wet ingredients with the Swerve will be mixed thoroughly first, then the dry ingredients added last.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, 180 C.
• Cut an x on each peach end. Place in boiling water for one minute.
• Peel peaches and chop into small pieces.
• Mix all dry ingredients together (except Swerve) and set aside.
• In the bowl you intend to mix all batter, mix Swerve and oil in mixing bowl.
• Add eggs and beat for three minutes.
• Add vanilla extract.
• Add sour cream and almond milk.
• Add dry ingredients. Mix for about 20 seconds, using spatula, making sure to get all dry ingredients incorporated.
• Spray your muffin liners with baking spray.
• Fill 12 muffin tins. An ice cream scoop works well with this kind of batter, which will be thick.
• Add chopped peaches to each muffin.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees F or 180 C or until just golden brown. (Convection bake may be less time and will take 15 to 20 minutes.)

Nutrition

Serving: 112 | Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Fiber: 3g

The post Grain Free Peach Muffins (Sugar Free, Gluten Free) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I used my basic focaccia recipe that is adapted from my favorite Italian cookbook, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking from Marcella Hazan. It’s a perfect focaccia recipe, yielding that pillowy, springy crumb and rising beautifully.

This bakes a nice big focaccia, using a large stone baking sheet or regular baking sheet. My favorite baking sheet is this USA pan. I  own several sizes.

I found this  new stone baking sheet just added to my Amazon shopping guide.

The dough rises very quickly, but the dough needs a solid four hours before baking.

We start with this amount of dough which doubles in about an hour. After two hours, the dough is stretched out on the pan, but not baked for another two hours.

I chose to cut the peaches in small pieces to fit into the indentations. This dough was so springy (a good thing) that the indentations kept rising back up.

Check out the crumb of this peach rosemary  focaccia. It’s springy, bouncy and perfect.

We used the fresh rosemary three times for peach rosemary focaccia.

Ryder chopped the rosemary using this mezzaluna (affiliate), a safe way for kids to start chopping.

We incorporated some of the fresh rosemary into the flour before making the dough and put some more on during the last 8 minutes of baking. We decided to add a little fresh rosemary once it came out of the oven.  You can even further this by adding fresh rosemary to some extra virgin olive oil for dipping.

I’m thinking this is one of those dishes you can take to a party or picnic, serve with a charcuterie board or cheese board.

Peach rosemary focaccia would be especially nice with prosciutto.

It’s not gluten free, but I do have a gluten free focaccia that you can adapt this recipe to here. It won’t make the same amount, so reduce the peaches and rosemary as necessary.

• Rosemary Focaccia with Olives
• Fusion Radish Focaccia
• Gluten Free Focaccia

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Peach Rosemary Focaccia the Comfort of Summer

Peach Rosemary Focaccia, springy and so delicious.

Course Bread

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 hours hours

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1½ packages active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water divided (1/2 cup, 1 1/2 cup)
• 6 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary divided
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• heavy duty rectangular baking pan about 18 x 14
• extra virgin olive oil for pan
• pastry brush Order Here
• A mixture of ¼ olive oil 2 tablespoons water, 1 t salt
• 2 peaches cubed, with skin on.

Instructions

• Dissolve yeast into ½ cup lukewarm water. (110 degrees F.) Rest 10 minutes.
• Add salt and 1 tablespoon of flour. Incorporate well.
• Add 1 cup flour, mix. Add olive oil, half remaining water and half remaining flour.
• Mix well with hands.
• Add remaining water and flour. At this point you can put into mixer with dough hook, or food processor. If you knead by hand, slap down on counter several times and knead for 8 minutes or until the dough is very workable and soft.
• Rest in oiled bowl with covered damp towel for two hours.
• At end of this rising time, punch down, place on oiled baking sheet, stretch by hand to the edges, trying to keep a uniform thickness, especially in the corners.
• Allow to rise for two hours
• Using a wooden spoon, small ball or finger tip, make indentations.
• Using pastry brush, carefully brush olive oil water mixture over top. Top with peaches.
• Put in oven, reduce heat to 400 and bake for 15 minutes.
• Top with tablespoon finely chopped rosemary and bake for another 7-8 minutes.
• When you take it out of the oven, the top will be a little crispy. As the focaccia cools, it softens up and will become springy.
• You can now add in some more fresh rosemary if you want and drizzle olive oil or serve with an herbed dipping oil.

Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links which earn a small commission, but do not affect prices.

The post Peach Rosemary Focaccia the Comfort Food of Summer appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Oven fried pork chops with peaches is a dinner that merges summer and fall.

This end of summer is a bit different for most parents. We’re helping out with the twins, as for now, they are doing remote school here. It’s the first week, and so far so good, but it will take time to see how this pans out.

Oven fried pork chops peaches can be one of the dishes helping make life just a little better.

Pork chops is comfort food and peaches is the happy food. Together the taste is great. If you remember I used grilled peaches with these amazing pork ribs and did a peach blueberry compote with these grilled pork rib eyes. Pork loves fruit, and I love an easy recipe.

All you need to do is slice some peaches or nectarines, add in some thinly sliced onion and bake your pork chops all in the same pan with a little rosemary or thyme. Either herb works well. You could even add in some sage.

Brine Your Pork Chops

If you are making thick pork chops like these, I highly recommend you first brine them for about 30 minutes to tenderize them. Place them in a mixture of cold water, with some salt and sugar. You can just use salt if you want to skip the sugar. Add some herbs to the water.

This recipe would work very well with rib-eye pork chops which are naturally a bit more tender.

Oven Fried Pork Chops are Easy and Versatile

The dish is done when the the pork chops are browned. The peaches cook right along with the pork and it can all be eaten together making each bite savory with a bit of sweet.

More Pork Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Pork Chops in Tomato Sauce with Green Beans

If you want to make a breaded pork chop, try these mustard breaded oven fried pork chops.

If you like pork chops with fruit, you might also like these baked pork chops with rosemary and apples.

Mock Porchetta with Root Vegetables

The post Oven Fried Pork Chops with Peaches appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Let me remind you of my peach tips.  You can freeze peaches.

You can peel peaches easily.

A gluten free peach pie, so delicious and so summery, made with fresh peaches only longs for a little vanilla ice cream

You can make this with an all-purpose crust, (recipe here) or make it my gluten free tart crust here, gluten free pie crust here.

The difference between the tart crust and the pie crust is that the tart crust is a little firmer.

I have often made this into a tart because I find it can be made prettier that way, but it can also be made in a pie pan or in individual tart pans.  Last year I made these gluten free muffin pan hand pies.

It seems that the longer you allow the peaches to macerate in its own juices, the more caramelized the peaches will get.

The Gluten Free Peach Tart is a great Summer Holiday Dessert!

You can also make these in small tart sizes.

A Gluten Free Peach Tart that is also Grain free is possible with an Almond Flour Tart Crust

I also have a grain free tart crust that is absolutely delicious, made with almond flour that is coming up soon. (Two cups almond flour, 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 egg yolk), 1 tablespoon Swerve.) (amazon).

No matter which pie crust you decide to use, everyone will love this. Don’t forget the ice cream!

More Gluten Free Recipes from Spinach Tiger Here

Grain Free Baking Recipes from Spinach Tiger Here

More Peach Recipes Here

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Gluten Free Peach Tart

Gluten free Sugar Free Peach Tart which can also be made into a Pie.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 recipe gluten free pie dough or gluten free tart dough
• 3 pounds peaches
• 2 tablespoons powdered erythrtol I use Swerve
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar I use sugar free swerve brown sugar see notes
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons corn starch or instant tapioca
• Kitchen Tools
• Pie Shields
• Tart Pan

Instructions

• Make Pie Dough, wrap in plastic, refrigerate.
• Cut an x across bottom of each peach. (for peeling later).
• Immerse peaches in large pot boiling water.
• Boil for about a minute. Remove. Cool. Peel.
• Slice peaches.
• Toss with , lemon juice and corn starch (or instant tapioca).
• Allow to sit overnight or on counter for a few hours.
• Drain juice. Use reserve juice for other recipes.
• Taste peaches. Adjust for sweetness.
• Take pie dough out 15 minutes before rolling.
• Preheat oven to 425.
• Roll and put dough into pan.
• You can either make a lattice topping or cut out topping as seen here.
• Spritz with water. Sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake on rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 375 and bake 30 to 35 minutes longer, less if using tart pan. You may need to cover the crust with foil to avoid burning. I use these covers.
• Cool completely.

Notes

If you are doing this sugar free and can't find Swerve brown sugar, just use regular swerve to taste.

The post Gluten Free Peach Tart, Sugar Free appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Then you can have all these glorious recipes well into the Fall once you know how to freeze peaches.

How to Freeze Peaches

• Do not wash the fruit. Freeze stone fruit unwashed.
• Select ripe unblemished peaches that are still firm enough to cut without being too squishy.
• Place in freezer. Once frozen, simply microwave for one minute. Voila. You have your fresh peach. That’s it and it works.

Did you know you can grill peaches for salads? This spinach salad with fresh corn, and pecans is soooo Southern and soooo good.

Corn Peach Tomato Salad. Simply mix fresh corn, tomatoes, peaches with this peach vinaigrette.  Post Coming.

So refreshing and such a summery side.

This grilled peach salad over romaine lettuce with blue cheese disappeared so fast at a summer party one night, I thought magic happened. The combination of toasted almonds, peaches and blue cheese with peach vinaigrette is pure magic.

This Peach Hand Pie  one of my most unique peach recipes. It’s made with raw tortillas, perfect for those who want a turnover in a hurry.

Peach and Sweet Corn Pizza is Divine

Pork Ribs with Grilled Peaches is a Summer Favorite around here, especially since I don’t like barbecue sauce.

Oven Fried Pork Chops with Peaches is just as good as it looks.

Did you know you can easily peel peaches for recipes. Find out how here, and get a peach cobbler recipe.

There are many ways to make cobbler. This the “biscuit/cake” version or my favorite, the pie crust version which can be found below.

This is Peach Cobbler with Double Lattice Crust. Yes, it’s double good.

Last but Not Least, Classic Peach Pie

I’ll soon be bringing you a recipe for this peach tart, and I’m going to do it gluten free, so please make sure you subscribe and never miss a recipe.

This Peach Sangria is made with a fresh peach simple syrup and peach ice cubes.

Happy Peachy Summer.

This site contains affiliate links which earn a commission, but does not increase prices.

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How to Freeze Peaches and My Best Peach Recipes

How to freeze peaches

Cuisine American

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• Peaches with skin on unwashed.

Instructions

• Make sure peaches are ripe.
• Do NOT wash.
• Freeze.
• Microwave for 60 seconds.
• Peaches are now ready to slice. (Don't forget to wash)

The post How to Freeze Peaches and My Best Peach Recipes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When the Peach Truck comes to Nashville, selling the sweetest, freshest Georgia Peaches, I light the grill.

Grilled peaches are so versatile, as they go well with meat like these pork ribs or they are just as good in a salad. I also have a great peaches and pork chop recipe.

Here’s what great about throwing a spinach salad together. You can buy organic baby spinach that is already triple washed so dinner is easy. I love my kale, but that does require more prep work. Spinach doesn’t overpower the taste of the peaches; in fact, they compliment each other.

The grilling part is easy, as long as you spray your grill, or brush your peaches with a little oil. Slicing the peaches around the seed may be a bit of a challenge, but don’t give up. Just set the timer for two minutes.

I am loving my echo dot, because I just say, “Alexa set the timer for two minutes” and I don’t have to worry about the food on my hands.

I just happened to have some peach white balsamic vinegar on hand to make a peach vinaigrette, perfect for the peach spinach salad.

Paciflia Culinaria White Balsamic Peach Vinegar

Peach Vinaigrette is just Peachy for a Peach Spinach Salad

I made a traditional vinaigrette, using some dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil and peach vinegar. If you don’t have peach vinegar, you can use a good balsamic or champagne vinegar for this salad. Keep in mind that spinach is a fragile green and doesn’t require a lot of dressing.

Peaches and Corn Make a Colorful Peach Spinach Salad

If you notice, I added in some fresh corn, cut right off the cob, not cooked.

There’s a lot of ways to play with this salad. I served it with grilled salmon which was perfect. You could make it an entree salad by adding in, bacon,  crispy pancetta or prosciutto. It also goes beautifully with pork!

Take a look at these Peach Recipes

Pork Ribs with Grilled Peaches

Corn, Peach, Vidalia Onion and Blackberry Pizza

Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler

How to Grill and Freeze Peaches 

How to Peel Peaches

More Salad Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Salad Dressings/Vinaigrettes from Spinach Tiger

More Peach Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Spinach Salad with Grilled Peaches, Peach Vinaigrette

Peach Spinach Salad can be a wonderful summer side or an entree when a protein is added. Fresh corn, goat cheese, and a peach vinaigrette add flavors and texture.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 large peaches
• 1 container triple washed baby spinach about 8 cups
• 1 ear of corn
• 1-2 ounces goat cheese crumbled
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans
• 1/4 cup peach vinaigrette or as needed
• salt and pepper
• PEACH VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons peach vinegar or champagne vinegar
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Grill Peaches. Wash and dry peaches. Turn grill to medium. Cut into discs. Brush with olive oil.
• Grill for about 2 minutes each side or until you have nice grill marks.
• Cut corn off the cob.
• Make Peach Vinaigrette by shaking all ingredients in a jar. Taste for your own preference of acid. Some peach vinaigrettes are sweeter than others.
• Toss spinach corn, goat cheese with vinaigrette. You may some some left over. Use just enough to coat the leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Toss gently again. Taste for flavor.
• Top salad with peaches and pecans.

Spinach Tiger is an Amazon Affiliate, gaining a small commission, which provides support to running this site.

The post Spinach Salad with Grilled Peaches, Peach Vinaigrette appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This grilled peach and blue cheese salad was so popular at a party one night, it disappeared in five minutes with rave reviews.

According to everything I could find on Google, peaches and nectarines are basically the same fruit inside, although I would argue that in taste.  I think peaches are sweeter and juicier, but nectarines are interchangeable in a recipe and they grill well.

Here’s a wonderful Spinach Salad with Peaches, Fresh Corn, Pecans, and a Peach Vinaigrette

Peaches and nectarines have the same genetic DNA and there is a recessive gene that causes the peach to not have peach fuzz, and thus, when two recessive genes create a tree, the fruit becomes a nectarine.

Nectarines and Arugula are a happy marriage.

People around here get excited about peaches and just about everyone has that peach moment of standing at the sink with the peach juice dripping down her chin.  We love eating them fresh, which is why I’m leaving you a tip for freezing your peaches. But, I discovered grilled peaches is a whole new fruit adventure for us, using them in sweet and savory dishes.

Make Pork Ribs with Grilled Peaches

How to Grill Peaches

The first thing I wanted to do with the nectarines was to grill them and put them in a salad. The wonderfulness of this idea inspired me to make this salad five  times in the last two weeks.  Peaches and nectarines can easily fall apart, so it’s a little tricky on the grill, and I have some tips for you, which will probably work for most stone fruit including plums.

• Make sure the fruit is firm enough that it doesn’t squish in your hands when cutting.
• Cut with a pairing knife in 1/4 inch slices cross wise all the way around and pull each circle off the stone.
• Brush with a little olive oil or avocado oil. I added in chili paste to the oil to add a little heat.
• Do a tester piece to make sure your result is what you want. Each grill is different.  The recipes for the peach tart, salad and vinaigrette will be come separately this week.

Once I figured out how to grill peaches for the  salad, I made a peach vinaigrette.

How to Freeze Stone Fruit

I’ll leave you with one more tip for peaches, since often, we have to buy them by the bushel. Peaches and nectarines can be frozen whole with their skin on. I was so surprised to find this out.

• Do not wash the fruit. Freeze stone fruit unwashed.
• Select ripe unblemished peaches that are still firm enough to cut without being too squishy.
• Place in freezer. Once frozen, simply microwave for one minute. Voila. You have your fresh peach. That’s it and it works.

It’s just not living in the South if peaches don’t show up in a dessert. I made both peach tart with a gluten free option. I’ll post the three recipes for the peaches this week.

Go Here to Find Out How to Peel Peaches and Get a Peach Cobbler Recipe.

More Peach Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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How to Grill Stone Fruit and Three Peach Recipes for One Dinner

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• Nectarines or peaches which are firm and not squishy.

Instructions

• Make sure the fruit is firm enough that it doesn’t squish in your hands when cutting.
• Cut with a pairing knife in 1/4 inch slices cross wise all the way around and pull each circle off the stone.
• Brush with a little olive oil or canola oil. I added in chili paste to the oil to add a little heat.
• Do a tester piece to make sure your result is what you want. Each grill is different. The recipes for the peach tart, salad and vinaigrette will be come separately this week.

The post How to Grill Peaches for Summer Peach Recipes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

We have been pining for such an outdoor oven for years because we want to be able to make those thin, chewy crust pizzas made famous in Naples, or at least get close.

We can’t get up to 900 degrees, but we can get to 700 degrees which is much hotter than our indoor oven, and it’s hot enough to radiate to the top and thoroughly cook the pizza.

This is probably as close as we will get and based on response from friend’s who have had the pleasure of eating pizza with us this year, it works well. We have had many sausage, pancetta, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella concoctions without a picture to show you due to inclement weather at every gathering, But, one sunny day this week, I used the last of the dough and made a quick lunch pizza that quite the surprise.

If you let the dough ferment a few days in the refrigerator, you get that sour dough taste that we all love. And, it seems to even cook better.

This was made when I had ten minutes to spare, but only ten. The dough was already made days before and waiting in the refrigerator getting a rather nice “sour dough” taste. All I needed to do was light the grill, spread on ricotta cheese mixed with honey, slice a peach, and drizzle some blood orange olive oil. It became complete with some black pepper and lime basil.

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Peach Pizza and Best Pizza Dough on the Grill

A summery pizza using fresh peaches and ricotta cheese to make a great appetizer, a main or even a dessert.

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1/3 pizza dough from recipe below make the day before; tastes better
• 1-2 ripe peaches sliced thinly with skin on
• 6 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Dash Salt
• Blood orange olive oil can also use regular olive oil with splash of orange
• fresh basil
• Black Pepper

Instructions

• To Bake, heat pizza stone in oven for 30 minutes in pre-heated oven at 450 degrees.
• To Grill, set your grill on highest heat, pre-heat cast iron griddle for 20 minutes.
• Assemble Pizza
• Roll dough out using some flour so it doesn’t stick. Sprinkle corn meal on pizza peal. Place rolled out dough on peel.
• Mix ricotta cheese with honey and a dash of salt. Spread over rolled out dough leaving an inch for crust. Arrange peach slices over cheese. Drizzle with olive oil. Slide onto pizza stone or cast iron griddle.
• Pizza takes approximately 7 minutes, but times could vary. Top with black pepper. Serve.

Notes

The prep time is calculated on already having pizza dough ready to go.

Pizza Dough (adapted from Marcella Hazan)

Recipe For Basic Pizza Dough
(Adapted from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking Page 623)
(Recipe made three individual sized 10” thin pizza)

1 1/2 t active dry yeast
1 cup luke warm water, divided into 1/4 cups
3 1/4 cups unbleached flour (I used 3 cups), divided into 3 one measure cups
Extra virgin olive oil (1 t for bowl) and some for finished product
1/2 T salt
Pizza stone, if using oven (or cast iron for grill)
Pizza Peel (Paddle)
Cornmeal

Dissolve yeast into 1/4 cup of warm water in large bowl, 10 minutes or less.
Add one cup flour. Stir with wooden spoon
Add in olive oil, salt, 1/4 cup water. Stir.
Add one cup flour. Stir.
Add 1/4 cup water. Stir.
Add one cup flour Stir.
Hold back on water and flour, adding as needed. I added water, but did not add last 1/4 cup of flour. Stir. Dough should be manageable, but not sticky. At this point you can knead by hand for 10 minutes or place in your kitchen aid type mixer with dough hook for about 5 minutes.

Place in oiled bowl. Cover and set in warm place for three hours. Dough cooks and tastes best when chilled overnight. Take out and bring to room temperature. Roll out a third of the dough and if you can manage it, give it a toss in the air several times. This helps to stretch the dough out properly.

The post Peach Pizza and Best Pizza Dough on the Grill appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

My blackberry story continues.

I can never do anything just a little bit. As I mentioned in this post featuring blackberry glazed watermelon, I have a lot of blackberries in my freezer. And, my obsessive compulsive gene has kicked in. I went from making blackberry syrup to blackberry glazed watermelon to blackberry sorbet to blackberry sangria in mere minutes of unleashing that first bag.

I admit that I marvel at the sweet tooth of the South. When I first moved here, it was not uncommon for a server to come to the table and ask me if I wanted sweet tea or coca cola. And, when I seemed surprised that I was offered these options as THE options, I think my server was more surprised that I declined. One sweet drink option they like around here is sangria. Fruity, sweet, and non-pretentious, sangria makes it’s way around several of the local taco joints including one called Local Taco as the sweet tea replacement. And, I don’t mind a bit.

This first came to my attention when a friend of mine that was never a wine drinker, and not really a cocktail drinker became as smitten with sangria as she was with fried chicken and buttermillk pie. But there was something else going on as her love affair with sangria was peaking. I’ll leave out the details, but I refer to it as the long long, hot hot summer of 2010.

Had it not been for my friend and her love for sangria, I probably would have missed and dismissed this drink as just another “too sweet for me” option. But, as my friend was coming for dinner and the blackberry syrup was cooking, it was a natural next step to make sangria.

Sangria, The Recipe
Sangria is a red wine fruit punch typically made with the Spanish Rioja wine. There is always wine, fruit and some sort of simple syrup or sugar. Sometimes there is brandy. Sometimes it is topped with something sparkling. But, Sangria is a party wine that is just right when you think it’s just right. There is a lot of wiggle room to get that sweet, fruity, party wine as long as it doesn’t taste like hawaiian punch. This is still an adult drink, just a really fun one that pairs perfectly with summer food.

I used my homemade blackberry syrup, but you could make a simple syrup and you could use any frozen fruit if you wanted to. You could also add in triple sec, grand marnier, brandy or flavored vodka. Sangria is something you experiment with and taste as you go. The flavors will, however, meld together and strengthen once refrigerated overnight which is an important step you don’t want to miss.

Recipe
1 bottle red wine (I used cabernet, you could use lambrusco, rioja, beaujolais)
1 cup blackberry syrup (or a simple syrup)*
2 peaches peeled, sliced
1 orange (juice of half, slices of the other half
1 lemon (slices of half, juice of half)
lime slices

Mix in large jug. Refrigerate over night.

Blackberry Syrup
4 cups frozen blackberries (can use fresh)
Enough water to cover just to cover
Cinnamon stick
Sugar to taste (1-2 cups)
Heat blackberries at a medium heat until sugar is melted and liquid is reduced
Add in 1/4 to 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
Take berries through a sieve to prevent seeding. Don’t force, but allow to sit over a bowl in a sieve or cheesecloth for an hour. Then gently crush through.

Simple Syrup Option
1 part water to 1 part sugar. Bring to boil until sugar is dissolved.
Start with 1 cup each, but add only according to how sweet you want the Sangria. You can add in frozen fruit for flavor.

The post Blackberry Sangria appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I want to take a moment to tell you about someone I don’t know personally, but I connect with on an almost daily basis.

Natasha of 5-Star Foodie is a food blogging “content” queen, and her energy astounds me. I imagine her to be a bit like me, but on steroids, cranking out the posts in the wee hours of the morning, constantly thinking about a new angle or possibly a new challenge for her fellow food bloggers.

This past month, she asked her readers to give a new twist to the concept of peaches and cream as she did here, making frozen peaches and cream dumplings.

I had great plans to be ultra sophisticated, and stuff peaches into a rolled pasta and use mascarpone. That’s the kind of dish a food blogger executes. But many times the best plans remain in my food dreams.

I am submitting a very lazy peach clafoutis. I say lazy because when I made this, I had two year old twin boys under foot and food. I have nicknamed them boo boo and boo boo. This way, I don’t need to worry about telling them apart and they seem to like it. The boo boo’s were content to eat unlimited amounts of peach slices while I threw this together, using my recipe for cherry clafoutis.

Cherries are supposed to be THE fruit for clafoutis, but please don’t tell the cherries, that I liked this peach version a tad better. It might be the nutmeg, because according to me, everything tastes better with nutmeg.

It was not possible to take the time to cut pretty peaches and place them ever so perfectly. It was slice slice slice and cover with batter, because one of the boo boos had to help, which means 23 pounds sitting on my arm. But, together, we managed to make one large and two cute little pans.

A good clafoutis is not good because of fruit arrangement. It’s good because it’s good. This recipe has the perfect mix to get that pancake, pudding, and custard texture.

Oh, and it has cream, and this is how I can say to Natasha, here is my version of peaches and cream.

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Peach Clafoutis, a Different Kind of Peaches and Cream

An American take on a French classic, Peach Clafoutis.

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• dash nutmeg
• pinch salt
• 3 eggs plus 1 yolk
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 4 cups peaches approximately 4 large peaches

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Butter shallow gratin dish. Combine flour, sugar.
• Add eggs and vanilla and whisk. Gradually add milk, cream, whisking to avoid lumps.
• Add salt.
• Spread over peaches and bake 45-45 minutes. Cool completely.

Note: I won a $100 gift certificate from Whole Foods for this recipe contest, key ingredient: peaches.

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