With the cost of living rising and food inflation at an all-time high, cost-conscious consumers that are searching for a showstopping dessert for a dinner party, BBQ or birthday treat this summer need look no further.
Freshcano, a European-funded distributor of freshly canned peaches, has crafted an array of delicious recipes making use of this simple store cupboard essential to keep things peachy when your pockets are squeezed.
Catering to all skill levels – from the newly kitchen-curious to hardened bakers – these peach-inspired treats are an excellent way to add a nutritional touch to a sweet dish, and are perfect for bringing lightness to an alfresco get-together as we dream of those warm summer evenings.
Peach Cream Cheese Bread
For those that enjoy fruit breads, this recipe is a real peach. Combining the crunch of the bread crust with the soft sweetness of the cream cheese glazing, this melt-in-your-mouth sweet snack includes fresh peaches and is gorgeously glazed. So sit down, relax and enjoy this beautiful bread with a cup of tea, or add intrigue to your dinner party table spread with a freshly baked pastry braid with some pizzazz!
- Difficulty: Hard
- Serves: 8
- Cost per serving: £1.49
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water
For filling:
- 400g cream cheese
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 (15-ounce) cans sliced peaches in light syrup, drained
For the Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
- For the pastry braid: Preheat the oven to 220°C (425° F). In a big bowl mix the flour, the powdered sugar, the baking powder, and the salt. Add the cream cheese and butter into the flour mixture and pulse to cut into the flour. Add the milk and blend until it’s just starting to come together.
- Make the filling: Cream the softened cream cheese in a medium bowl until fluffy before adding sugar, vanilla extract, and the egg. Mix together until well combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a big sheet of lightly-floured parchment paper and knead each very lightly for just a few strokes (be careful not to overwork the dough or it’ll be tough! Don’t worry about getting it smooth — just knead for these few strokes and let it stay a little rough.)
- Very lightly flour the top of the dough and roll it out to a 10- by 12-inch rectangle. Measure and mark the dough lengthwise into thirds. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the middle third of the dough and arrange the peach slices on top.
- Continue assembling the braid. Make diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals on each of the thirds along the sides. Do not cut into the center filling area. Fold strips, first one from the left side and then one from the right side in an alternating fashion, over the filling, dusting off any excess flour as you go. It should now resemble a braid!
- Use the sheet of parchment to carefully transfer your braid to a baking sheet. At this point you can cover and refrigerate the braid overnight, or you can continue to the next step.
- Bake and glaze the braid: Brush the pastry braid with the egg wash mixture. Bake in the 220°C (425° F) oven for 20-22 minutes, until the dough is really golden on top. After allowing the braid to cool for around 30 minutes, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a small measuring cup with a pour spout. Drizzle over the top of the braid and serve!
Please see the full recipe here.
Canned Peach Tart
This gorgeous tart is incredibly simple to make, quick to whip up, and will most certainly wow guests at any summer street party or Sunday lunch. The only question that remains; will you serve it with custard, ice cream or cream?
- Difficulty: Easy
- Serves: 8
- Cost per serving: 83p (with Cognac £4.08)
Ingredients:
- 1 pack of puff pastry
- 1 can of peaches
- 2 tablespoons of white sugar
- 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1 shot of Cognac (optional)
- 3 vanilla essence
Method:
- Grease a circular, loose-bottomed, non-stick tin with olive oil or butter and lay the puff pastry onto your tin, folding the edges over the sides.
- Pour the white sugar, vanilla essence, Cognac, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and the canned peach juice into a pan. Simmer at a very low temperature until mix is homogenized. Let it cool for a while (roughly 20 mins is fine) and then carefully add the canned peaches.
- Stir lightly and spread the mix on the puff pastry, making sure to leave your peaches dome side up. Sprinkle with brown sugar and bake for approximately 15 minutes at 180οC, until the pastry is golden.
- Sprinkle with icing sugar through a sieve to serve.
Please see the full recipe here.
Peach Crumb Bars
If you’re wanting an energy boost, this this simple snack is a great breakfast choice. n These peach crumb bars pack a punch and are also a perfect picnic partner to go alongside your sandwiches and salads on a day out with the kids.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Serves: 10
- Cost per serving: £1.19
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 16 tablespoon cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg
- 3 cans (5 cups) sliced peaches in light syrup, drained
- 5 tsp cornstarch
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Zest of half a lemon
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375° F) and grease a rectangular tin.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, the flour, the salt and the lemon zest, and stir together. Cut in the butter and egg with a pastry blender until the largest chunks are about pea-sized. The mixture should be crumbly. Put about half of the mixture in an even layer over the bottom of the prepared pan and press down firmly to form the bottom crust.
- In another bowl, stir together the remaining sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and nutmeg. Gently mix in the peaches (without the syrup), with a rubber spatula until combined. Sprinkle the fruit mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the peaches.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is slightly golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.
Please see the full recipe here.
All costs are accurate based on ASDA’s pricing during April 2023.
For more information about both peaches and recipes, please visit: https://www.cannedpeaches.eu/
