Besides good looks and great color, fresh peaches need to smell like a peach and yield a little to gentle pressure. If they possess those qualities, buy enough to eat out of hand and also for baking in a dessert, like peach dumplings. With nectarines being interchangeable with peaches, feel free to make the substitute. Some cooks always use nectarines in their recipes because their skin does not have to be removed before use.
Happily, the homespun recipe for peach dumplings, sent to me by my cousin Kathy Krejci and her hubby Stan, does not call for peeling peaches, nor removing their pits. And if the recipe is new to you, you’ll be glad to know the dough, made with potatoes, is easy to handle and does a sensational job of fully encasing the fruit. Despite the plunge into rapidly boiling water, the dumplings hold their shape well, even after a cook time of 20 minutes.
Kathy and Stan like to serve peach dumplings with melted butter and cinnamon sugar, so that is how I enjoyed them, too. Tasty and very much worth the effort, be sure to make extra dumplings for freezing. When the weather turns cold and the taste of summer is all but gone, you’ll be glad you did.
Sue Ade is a syndicated food writer with broad experience and interest in the culinary arts. She has worked and resided in the Lowcountry of South Carolina since 1985 and may be reached at kitchenade@yahoo.com.
