I know February isn’t the best season to talk about either frozen food OR fruit recipes, but that’s just where we’re at in the lineup. ;P And maybe this will give those of you languishing in chillier climes something to look forward to. Down here in TX, they’re already putting swimsuits on sale. *face palm*
First up is the category of frozen desserts that AREN’T made in the ice cream machine. Yes, I’m weird enough to have two somewhat-specific frozen dessert categories. This one is actually not a recipe that I personally enjoy, but hubby definitely does. He’s a big fan of old-fashioned sodas and malts, things like that – and this is right up that alley. It’s also pretty easy, so that’s definitely a win. Come to think of it, it would be a fun and easy dessert to make for yourself, friends, kids, or even a spouse for Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Now, I’ve blogged about this one before, so I’ll just post a new, mouthwatering picture for you to contemplate.
I also have two different categories for fruit – one is just fruit and and one is fruit desserts. Admittedly, the fruit category is pretty thin and it’s just getting thinner with these results. So far, I’ve tried 2 fruit recipes, and neither were keepers. The first one was for some bacon-wrapped apricots. Personally, I’m not a fan of bacon-wrapped things. I like my bacon CRISPY, and it never gets that way when it’s wrapped around something. As far as flavor goes, they were okay, but not worth keeping. And funny enough, I actually made these for a Valentine’s dinner a few years ago.
I also made some cinnamon apple chips from the fruit category. Again, they were just ok. They had you sprinkle them with sugar as well as the cinnamon, and I just didn’t feel like it added anything. I do love apple chips, but these just weren’t worth the effort for me.
When it came to the fruit dessert category, I actually made 2 versions of the same idea – baked peaches. I first tried this after seeing it on the Rachael Ray show years ago. I’d had baked apples once or twice, but I’d never thought of baked peaches. I tried them and fell in love! I had two recipes in my folders, and I decided to try them head to head. I’ve made them both before and quite enjoyed them, but you probably don’t need two pretty similar recipes like that. So one night, we had a couple friends over, and I made 2 peaches each way so we could compare them side by side.
First up is the recipe that ended up being cut. This was a recipe that I first tried over 10 years ago. It’s not a bad recipe, though it does sacrifice a little bit for convenience. Instead of making a crumble, you use pre-made granola. Because of this, I find that the peaches don’t always cook enough or the granola gets too dark. Added to that, I don’t generally buy granola, so it’s not actually that convenient for me. (And really, how hard is it to make a crumble from scratch?)
The second recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen, so you shouldn’t be surprised that it came out on top. (Check out the first time I posted about it here.) As usual with an SK recipe, this one is both simple and perfect. ❤ You make an easy crumble and bake it on top of the peaches. That’s it! Just don’t be like me and forget about these beauties in the middle of peach season.
Hope you’re enjoying a lovely February so far. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
Food, Faith, and Other Fabulous Finds 