Old-Fashioned Peach Meringue Pie

slice of peach pie with meringue

We’re getting to the peak of peach season. Succulent peaches are wonderful fresh, and are also wonderful when baked into various delectable desserts. I recently came across a recipe for Peach Meringue Pie in a hundred-year-old cookbook, and decided to give it a try.

The pie was a winner. The peach filling was sweet with a hint of tartness, and the meringue topping was refreshingly light with a nuanced vanilla flavor which nicely balanced the peaches.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Peach Pie (with Meringue) — Source: Butterick Cook Book (1924)

I’m not sure why the recipe called for cooking and mashing the peaches prior to putting them in the pie shell, but I followed the directions. Maybe the recipe author did not want distinct slices of peach in the baked pie.

I sweetened the peaches with 1/2 cup sugar. When I made this recipe the cooked peaches were very juicy -and I knew that they would not hold their shape in a pie, so I added 1/4 cup of flour. This worked well, and the cooked peach pie filling was an appropriate consistency when the pie was baked.

It’s intriguing that the old recipe indicated that the recipe was for either apple or peach meringue pie. I would think that the spices that are used in an apple pie would be somewhat different than the spices in a peach pie. Similarly, I would think that more flour would be needed to thicken the filling of a peach pie than an apple one (though, of course, no flour or other thickener was called for in the old recipe).

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Peach Meringue Pie

Servings: 6 - 8
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: moderate
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4 cups sliced and peeled peaches

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 9-inch pie shell

3 egg whites

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400° F. Put the sliced peaches and the sugar in a saucepan; stir together. Using medium heat bring to a boil while stirring occasionally; simmer, until the peaches are soft, while continuing to stir occasionally (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and mash the cooked peaches. (I used a potato masher). It is okay if the mashed peaches are chunky. Stir in the flour and nutmeg. Put the peach mixture into the pie shell and bake in oven until the filling begins to bubble, and the crust is lightly browned.

In the meantime, make the meringue. Place egg whites in a bowl, and beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla while continuing to beat. Then spoon on top of the pie and swirl. Reduce oven temperature to 350° F. Return pie to oven and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Canned Peach Pudding

Canned Peach Pudding

I was recently browsing through a hundred-year-old magazine, and came across a recipe for Canned Peach Pudding. Back then fresh fruit was scarce during the winter and early spring, so canned fruit was very popular. At the time, canned fruit (either home or commercially canned) was considered a modern option.

The Canned Peach Pudding was delightful. The pudding batter included pureed peaches, and whole peach halves (filled with a red jelly or strawberry jam) are placed in the batter and then additional batter is poured on top.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Canned Peach Pudding — Source: American Cookery (April, 1924)

When I put the baked pudding with the sugar on top under the broiler, the sugar did not brown, but the top of the pudding did begin to brown.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Canned Peach Pudding

Servings: 6
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: moderate
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12 canned peach halves (approximately 1 29 oz. can + 1 15 oz. can or 1 quart home canned peaches)

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted

6 teaspoons red jelly or strawberry jam (I used current jelly.)

granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F. Puree 6 of the peach halves. In a mixing bowl combine the peach puree, milk, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and melted butter. Put half of the batter into an 8″ X 8″ baking dish. Arrange 6 peach halves, hollow side up, on top of the batter. Fill the center of each peach half with 1 teaspoon of red jelly or strawberry jam. Pour the remaining better on top. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and lightly sprinkle with granulated sugar. Put under the broiler until the top of the baked pudding is lightly browned. Remove from oven.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Peach Salad (Dessert)

Peach Salad

I had some peaches so searched through my hundred-year-old cookbooks for a recipe that called for them, and found a winner. The recipe was called Peach Salad – though I actually would consider it a dessert rather than a salad.

This recipe is easy to make and tasty. The peaches are halved and the cavities filled with a whipped cream and chopped walnut mixture. The peaches are then put back together and topped with additional whipped cream and nuts. The Peach Salad makes a perfect dessert on a hot summer day.

When I served the Peach Salad, I provided both a fork and a knife. The peach could then be cut into several pieces, which made it easier to eat.

Here’s the original recipe:

Peach Salad Recipe — Source: Cement City Cook Book (1922) published by the First Baptist Church, Alpena, Michigan

I did not list “preserved peaches” as an option for this recipe. In my opinion, fresh peaches are the way to go. The old recipe call for “nuts.” I used walnuts.

And, I can’t quite picture this recipe with a candied fruit garnish, so when I updated the recipe I did not include the option of garnishing with candied fruit.. (I’m not even sure where to buy candied fruit in the summer. It seems more like an ingredient that I see in December when people are doing Christmas baking.)

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Peach Salad (Dessert)

Servings: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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4 peaches

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped + additional chopped walnuts for garnish

Place the whipping cream in a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Add confectioners sugar, and continue beating until thoroughly mixed. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts.

Cut each peach in half and remove stone. Place whipped cream and chopped nut mixture in the cavities and put the peaches back together. Top with additional whipped cream mixture. Garnish with additional chopped nuts.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Peach Shortcake

Peach Shortcake with Whipped Cream on Plate

Sweet, juicy, local peaches are just beginning to appear at farm stands, so I was pleased to find a hundred-year-old recipe for Peach Shortcake. The recipe turned out well – and was perfect for a hot summer day.

Here’s the original recipe:

This recipe made a little less shortcake than I was expecting. I used a 10-inch round cake pan when I made the recipe. (There wasn’t enough dough to make two layers.) If I made this recipe again, I think that 8-inch cake pans would work better, so that is the pan size that I listed in the updated recipe.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Peach Shortcake

Servings: 4 - 5
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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3 cups peeled and sliced peaches

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

whipped cream

Combine sliced peaches, sugar, and lemon juice; stir gently. Spoon some of the sweetened peaches between the layers of shortcake (see recipe below). Put additional peaches and the whipped cream on the top layer of shortcake.

Shortcake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons lard

1 cup milk

butter, if desired

Preheat oven to 425° F. Put flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl; stir to combine. Cut in butter and lard using a pastry blender. Add milk and mix using a fork until dough starts to cling together. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, then divide dough in half and put into the pans. Bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly, then remove from pans. Split each layer using a fork. If desired butter layers, Arrange layers with fruit filling in the middle and on top.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Stuffed Peach Salad

I eat lots of fresh fruit; canned fruit not so much. But a hundred-year-old recipe reminded me that canned fruits are delicious. Stuffed Peach Salad was easy to make, attractive, and most importantly, tasty.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Stuffed Peach Salad

Servings: approximately 5
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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1 15-ounce can peach halves

grapes, quartered

chopped walnuts

Drain peaches and arrange on plate. Fill the cavity of each peach with grapes and walnuts.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Peach Tapioca Dessert “Without Cream”

I recently found a hundred-year-old recipe for the perfect peach dessert – Peach Tapioca Without Cream. The name is a bit misleading. This luscious, refreshing dessert is topped with almond-flavored whipped cream.

The peaches are embedded in a delightful, thick, sweet, tapioca sauce made with water, sugar, and lemon. The use of water rather than the usual milk or cream creates a lovely new dimension that’s unlike any tapioca I’ve ever eaten.

This recipe was published in Good Housekeeping in 1917. At the time, food prices were rapidly rising due to food shortages cause by World War I. Cream was expensive – so the recipe called for making the tapioca with water instead of cream. But apparently the recipe author couldn’t bring herself to totally eliminate the cream and decided that people could afford to use a little cream that could be whipped into a delightful topping.

Here’s the original recipe:

Source: Good Housekeeping (October, 1917)

And, here’s the recipe updated for modern readers:

Peach Tapioca without Cream

Servings: 5 - 7
Time: 40 minutes active prep time
Difficulty: moderate
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Peach Tapioca

1/2 cup granulated tapioca (Minute tapioca)

3 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

juice and grated rind of 1/2 lemon

3/4 cup sugar

6 large peaches, pared and thinly sliced

Combine the tapioca, water, and salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil using medium heat while stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer gently while continuing to stir; cook until the mixture is clear and thick (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in the lemon juice, grated lemon rind, and sugar. Added the sliced peaches and gently stir to combine. Put into a bowl and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Serve with Almond-Flavored Whipped Cream.

Almond-Flavored Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 tablespoons confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Put cream in a bowl; beat until stiff peaks form. Add confectioners sugar and almond extract; beat until combined.

Peach Cup (Individual Peach Cobblers) Recipe

I always think of peach season as cobbler season, so I was excited when I saw a hundred-year-old recipe for Individual Peach Cobblers. The cobblers are delightful when served warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

These cobblers are a double peach dessert that contains both sliced and mashed peaches. Hot juicy peach slices are embedded in this homey cobbler; and mashed peaches, which are mixed into the batter, infuse the cobbler shortbread with a light peachy sweetness.

This dessert was called Peach Cup in the original recipe. In the early 1900’s, individual cobblers and shortcakes were called cups because they were made in custard cups or muffin pans.

Here is the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Peach Cup (Individual Peach Cobblers

Servings: 6 - 8 cobblers
Time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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4 small (3 large) fresh peaches

1 egg, separated

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons butter, melted

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional

Preheat oven to 425° F. Prepare custard cups or jumbo muffin pan by generously greasing the cups.

Peel the peaches, then mash 1 peach (3/4 of a peach if using large peaches). (I used a blender to puree the peach). Set aside.

Slice the remaining peaches. Set aside.

Beat the egg white until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, egg yolk, milk, melted butter, and mashed/pureed peach. Beat until smooth. Gently fold in the egg white.

Put 1 tablespoon of batter in the bottom of each cup, add a layer of peach slices, then cover with the remaining batter. (It’s okay if the peaches are not completely covered.)

Place in the oven, and cook for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes, then remove from cups. To remove from cups, run a butter knife gently around the edge of the cups, then turn upside down on a plate. After the individual cobblers slide out of the cups, flip them so they are upright.

Best when served warm. May be topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Cook’s note: Canned or frozen peaches could be substituted for the fresh peaches.

And, here is the original recipe:

Peach Cup — Source: A Text-book of Cooking by Carlotta C. Greer (1915)

Notes: I divided the recipe by 2 when I made it. The original recipe called for using peach halves, but my peaches were too large to fit in a custard cup, so I cut the peaches into slices.