One thing that I love most about the summer months is the abundance of fresh summer fruits that are available for us to use. I always stock up on them and then freeze them for the winter months ahead if I can. This recipe for Peach Buckle is one that we enjoy in our home all year round. You can either use fresh chopped peaches for it or frozen peaches. Today I used the last of my frozen peaches from last year in readiness for the fresh fruits which are about to come in season shortly. I can’t wait!
Buckles make for the perfect summer dessert. You start by creating a batter and pouring it into a dish. Fresh fruit gets put on top, which magically sinks to the bottom while the dessert cooks. The end result is a dessert with a fluffy, sweet cake-like topping and a rich sticky fruit bottom. They are a great dessert year-round but are especially lovely in the summer months. They are beautiful served warm with your choice of toppings. Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, pouring cream, clotted cream, or even warm custard sauce (crème anglaise).
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PEACH BUCKLE
As always, simple ingredients put together in a most delicious way. There is nothing complicated here.
| INGREDIENTS |
| ½ cup butter, melted |
| 2 cups peeled, pitted, and chopped peaches (you can use fresh or frozen) |
| ½ tsp ground cinnamon |
| 2 TBS granulated sugar |
| 1 cup all-purpose flour |
| 2 tsp baking powder |
| ¼ tsp salt |
| 1 cup soft light brown sugar, packed |
| 1 large free range egg |
| ¾ cup of buttermilk |
| 1 tsp almond extract |
| 1 TBS turbinado sugar |
HINTS AND TIPS
If you use my handy hints and tips you are assured of success with this recipe!
1. Read through the recipe completely several times prior to beginning to help familiarise yourself with any ingredients, baking dishes or equipment you need to put the recipe together.
2. Assemble all of your ingredients before beginning. This can help prevent you from leaving something integral to the recipe out.
3. Sift your flour and baking powder together to make sure that the baking powder is evenly distributed.
4. When you add the brown sugar, make sure you rub it through to get out any lumps that might remain. You don’t want lumps of sugar in your batter.
5. If you don’t have buttermilk (and I didn’t on this day) simply add 1 TBS of vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and fill to the required level with whole milk. Let stand for five minutes so that the milk can clabber.
6. Do not over-mix your batter. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together just until they are combined and no dry streaks remain. Lumps are alright.
7. You can use either fresh or frozen fruit for this easy dessert. Today I used frozen, but when fresh peaches are in season do use fresh. So amazingly tasty!
8. I always peel my peaches. I am not a fan of having the skin in desserts. You can peel your peaches simply by dropping them into a bowl of boiling water, leaving for 30 seconds, and then scooping out to a cold water bath. The skins should slip off very easily then.
9. The fruit tends to always sink to the bottom, if you want more fruit to be showing on top, you can pile some of them up into little mounds here and there. This is merely for aesthetic purposes.
10. I add a touch of turbinado sugar sprinkled on top prior to baking, which gives the finished bake a nice crunch.
11. If you like you can add some toasted flaked almonds to the top for even more visual interest and a nutty crunch. About ¼ cup will do the trick.
12. If you are not a fan of almond flavouring, you can use vanilla in its place. Likewise if you don’t like cinnamon, you can leave it out or add nutmeg, etc. Ground cardamom is also very nice.
13. Gluten free flour can be used with excellent results.
14. If you are not a real fan of peaches, you can substitute any stone fruit for them in this recipe. Plums are nice (I don’t peel them), nectarines, a mix of peach and raspberries, or even blueberries work nicely. You can even use peeled pears or apples. The choice is yours.
HOW TO MAKE PEACH BUCKLE
Preheat your oven to 350*F. Butter a 10-inch round deep pie dish, or casserole large enough to hold the peaches and topping.
Put the peaches into a bowl and toss them together with the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let sit while you are making the topping.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
Add the brown sugar, rubbing it to break down any lumps. Mix all together well.
Whisk together the egg, almond extract, and buttermilk.
Add to the flour mixture along with the melted butter. Stir together just to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared pie dish/casserole. Top with the chopped peaches and any juices which may have accumulated.
(Optional) Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over top, if using.
Bake in the centre of the heated oven for 50 minutes, until golden brown. If you think it is browning too quickly, cover lightly with some aluminium foil. It should be nice and moist when done, not overbaked.
Serve warm, spooned into bowls, along with your favourite topping.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH PEACH BUCKLE
Although this is a very delicious dessert on its own, the pleasure of eating it is magnified exponentially when you add something cold and creamy to top it with, like ice cream or gelato. We love to enjoy it with lightly sweetened whipped cream. If you add a touch of vanilla paste to the cream, there is no need to sweeten it. You can also serve it with a jug of cold cream to pour over top. Vanilla Ice Cream is extremely delicious served on top of the dessert. A warm custard sauce is also very nice in the winter months.
One thing is for sure, no matter what you choose to top your Peach Buckle with, your family is really going to enjoy this quick and easy dessert! The recipe makes enough to reasonably serve eight people which makes it a great dessert to serve when you have company, but trust me when I say, this dessert is so incredibly delicious that your family will quite easily gobble up seconds! You have been warned!
Peach Buckle Recipe
This beautiful classic makes the perfect summer dessert. You can use fresh or frozen (unsweetened) peaches for this. Do serve it warm with whipped cream, ice cream, pouring cream, clotted cream, or warm custard for a real treat!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 2 cups peeled, pitted, and chopped peaches
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large free range egg
- ¾ cup of buttermilk
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 TBS turbinado sugar
To Serve: (One of these, optional)
- Whipped Cream
- Pouring Cream
- Clotted Cream
- Ice Cream
- Warm Custard
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350*F. Butter a 10 inch round deep pie dish, or casserole large enough to hold the peaches and topping.
- Put the peaches into a bowl and toss them together with the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let sit while you are making the topping.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the brown sugar, rubbing it to break down any lumps. Mix all together well. Whisk together the egg, almond extract, and buttermilk. Add to the flour mixture along with the melted butter. Stir together just to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pie dish/casserole. Top with the chopped peaches and any juices which may have accumulated. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over top.
- Bake in the centre of the heated oven for 50 minutes, until golden brown. If you think it is browning too quickly, cover lightly with some aluminium foil. It should be nice and moist when done, not overbaked.
- Serve warm spooned into bowls, along with your favourite topping.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 313 calories, excluding optional toppings
Marie Rayner is a retired Chef, freelance writer, recipe developer, food blogger, and Cookbook author. She makes her home in Chester, UK, where she lives with her husband, Todd, and their much beloved English Cocker, Mitzie. Her motto is “Life is far too short to eat bad food,” and her goal is to share delicious and easy recipes which anyone can enjoy and cook in the comfort of their own home.
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