Sep 30
Peach Kolaches
When it comes to food, inspiration can come from anywhere. More often than not, I am driven by cravings for something delicious, fantastic food photos or crazy new recipes. For this post, the ingredient itself was the inspiration. I don’t normally stock peaches, but standing in the grocery store I had to have them. So the peaches were snapped up and promptly taken home. But that’s where it ended. I had no recipe in mind for my lovely peaches…until I found the Kolaches.
To me, cookies are perfect. They’re relatively easy to make and usually come out delicious every time. Worry-free baking at its best that ends with a soft cookie melting in your mouth. So it’s surprising that this the first real cookie post. Maybe it’s because we throw the ingredients together, slap them in the oven and then promptly shove the treats in our mouths. Makes sense. My jeans are fitting tighter lately.
Sex in a pan. It’s an easy to make, light and fluffy dessert. However, lets be honest here, the name is ridiculous. Using the name in a conversation never comes off well. Eg. Oh wow, this Sex in a Pan is delicious. Can I have some more Sex in a Pan, please? Call me juvenile, I just can’t take it seriously. Rumor is that when the recipe was first printed there was a typo and Six was turned to Sex, but I never found any information to back this up. Whatever, I know what you are thinking. Shut it and get on with the dessert. Right. So back to the Sex…which is in a pan.
Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Banana – Is there a better combination? I didn’t think so. I had forgotten about some bananas on the counter and by the time I remembered where I’d stashed them, they were starting to turn to the dark side. Personally, I enjoy a banana that’s starting to turn a little brown, but these little yellow gaffers were too far gone for even me to enjoy. I pondered for a good 6 hours about what I would transform them into when my sister actually put in the request: Banana Cream Pie. 
I love pie. Pie with ice cream. Pie and whipped cream. Steaming hot pie straight out of the oven. Leftover pie from the refrigerator. I LOVE PIE. So naturally, when my hubby came home from work with a grocery bag filled with sour cherries, all I could think of was pie. These beautiful berries were a gift from a co-worker. Taken fresh off the tree, the cherries were prime for baking, literally bursting from the juices. Just pulling the stems off the cherries alone made the berry juice come flooding out which resulted in my kitchen looking like a scene from Kill Bill. 
Special occasions call for special foods. A dish that will reflect who or what is being celebrated. However, finding that ’special’ dish isn’t always easy, especially when there is so much pressure to make something wonderful for the event. As was the case this past weekend, when our dear friend Annie, celebrated her birthday. Yes, this is the same lovely lady that graduated this spring and was our inspiration for baking the 
Peanut Butter. Those two words always get my attention – immediately. My mind races with questions like: Do you have peanut butter? Are we going to get peanut butter? How long until I have peanut butter in my mouth? And much to my husband’s dismay, I am often found in the kitchen eating spoonfuls of PB out of the jar – it’s a good source of protein, right? Regardless of its nutritional value, peanut butter is delicious and I love it! Making these cookies perfect as they are packed with peanut butter goodness!
I love scones. I love them fresh out of the oven so they’re hot and crumbly and with a little smidgen of butter in the middle. Something about them is so rustic, and homey. Scones always bring back fond memories for me involving friends and tea dates. As a matter of fact, I met my best friends over scones and herbal tea. In honor of friends and home baking, I present you with a pepper, rosemary and cheese scone.
