All week long I have been wanting my favorite peach cobbler. Today I had some extra time and decided to make it. It was worth the wait. I picked up some peaches this morning at the farmer’s market, along with some more beans, eggplant and sweet corn.

Making fresh peach cobbler is easy and quick once you get your peaches done. The easiest way is to bring a large pan of water to a boil. When the water boils, quickly add your peaches to the pan. Have ready a large colander and a slotted spoon. Start removing the peaches after they have been in the water 45 seconds. Spray with cold water for a couple of minutes. Use a paring knife to remove skin, they should slip right off. Cut into slices and discard pits. If I do this early in the day I add up to 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 t. Fruit Fresh to the bowl with the peaches (or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice) , cover tightly with saran wrap.

Peach Cobbler

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups fresh peaches
1 cup sweet anne cherries - pitted (optional)
1 additionall cup or less sugar depending on the sweetness of your peaches

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add peaches with sugar to a pan and heat gently, adjusting sugar to taste.

Melt butter in 10″ baking dish. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the vanilla and milk, stir in until blended. Spoon over melted butter.

Spoon warmed peaches over batter. Sprinkle cherries if using over top.

Bake in a 350 degree oven 30 - 35 minutes until crust is golden brown. Crust will rise to the top and lightly brown.

Serve warm of cold.

We were having leftover pot roast tonight and I was trying to think of something different to do with it, so I made popovers and filled them with mashed potatoes and surrounded it with the leftover roast beef and gravy, carrots and green beans from our garden. This is a perfect make ahead dinner and you only have to make the popovers before serving and heat the rest.

Popovers are easy to make, they are just eggs, flour, milk, butter and salt. They take less than 5 minutes minutes to mix up and about 30 minutes to bake depending on your pan. Leftover popovers are wonderful with butter and jam or dipped in real maple syrup like they do in New England.

Easy Popovers

1 tablespoon butter - melted
butter - for greasing tin
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a popover tin.

In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, buuter and salt. Add the flour and fold until just blended.

Fill the popover cups two-thirds to three-quarters full.

Transfer cups to oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, and bake 20 minutes more, until well browned and crusty.

Remove popovers from the oven, and unmold onto a rack. Puncture the sides with a sharp knife to let steam escape, and serve immediately.

Makes 6.

This is a very different brownie recipe, thanks to the topping mixture. They are very rich so cut them in small servings.

Scrumptios Walnut Brownies

1 cup butter (2 sticks) melted and cooled to room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Nut topping:
3 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

Melt butter in microwave; cool to room temperature. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in cocoa. Beat in flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour into prepared pan.

Combine all ingredients for nut topping except for walnuts and mix thoroughly. Fold in walnuts. Spread nut topping over brownie batter, being careful to cover edges completely. Some of the topping will sink to the bottom of the batter to create a caramelized bottom.

Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes until toothpick comes out with crumbs.

For neatly cut brownies, score the brownies shortly after removed from the oven.

Cool completely, then finish cutting.

Yield: 24 pieces.