Pretty As a Peach (Dumpling)

I am a huge believer in enjoying the fresh produce that every season has to offer.
Summertime in the South is a time of so many wonderful fruits and vegetables but right now
there is nothing like the sweet, juicy peaches! Mid to late summer brings the wonderful gift of
the freestone peaches. In June and early July the cling peaches are the stars of the show and
they have their own charm but for my money, the freestones are the crown jewels of summer.
To celebrate that glorious fruit, I want to share with you my own peach dumpling recipe. I
can admit that there are so many amazing peach creations in the form of cobblers, pies, ice
cream, and even pickled peaches, that it’s hard to choose just one, but dumplings are one of
my favorites. They are simple to make, perfectly portioned, and beyond yummy! Cutting
through that buttery puff pastry crust into the tender, fragrant peach is a true pleasure of the
season and the addition of a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream is next
level fabulous!

I call my dumplings double peach because I use both fresh fruit and my secret ingredient,
peach jam. The jam that I use is a treasure jealously guarded by this family. My Mama makes
it and it’s amazing. She crafts her jam (and jelly!) using the early summer varieties. It turns out
to be the color of a sunrise and tastes like my childhood spent in my grandmother’s kitchen
while the two of them “worked up” peaches by the bushel.

Now take yourself to the nearest produce stand or market, pick up some peaches, and
celebrate the glorious gifts of summer!

Double Peach Dumplings
4 large, ripe peaches (yellow or white are equally delicious)
1 pkg. (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter, cut into 8 equal cubes
1 jar peach jam
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk or cream
Raw sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper; set aside. Beat
the egg with the cream to create a wash and reserve. Thoroughly combine the brown sugar
and cinnamon, being careful to mix well and break up as many lumps as possible. Peel and pit
the peaches and you’re almost ready to go! Lightly flour your work surface and roll a sheet of
the puff pastry out just enough to form a square. Using a sharp knife, cut the pasty into four
even squares. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the brown sugar and cinnamon into the center of
each each square and place a peach half, pitted side up, on top. Place a cube of butter in the
middle of each peach half and top with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the jam. Brush all four edges of the
puff pastry with the egg wash. Gently pull two opposite corners of the pastry square up,
stretching slightly, and press together. Repeat with the other corners, sealing along one edge
and leaving small vents between the opposite edges to prevent the dumplings from bursting
apart. Press and lightly twist all four corners together over the center of the dumpling. Place
each dumpling in the dish, just touching and repeat the process for the remaining sheet of
pastry.

Brush all the prepared dumplings with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with the raw sugar.
Place in the preheated oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and
cooked through. Serve hot with some of the juice spooned over the top or serve cooled with
the same treatment. A scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream (or both!) takes it over
the top!