Peach Brûlée with Lavender Shortbread Cookies & Almond Flavored Peaches with French Vanilla Ice Cream!

I do love good peaches. My favorite peaches are the fragrant white peaches that I buy at a little "curb" market in town. In the early summer, there are big baskets of them out front. I recognize them right away from the light skinned appearance and the almond like perfume around them. I've used both early and late summer peaches in the recipes below. Hope you enjoy.

In the Peach Brûlée I just made, I used late summer peaches, but you can make this anytime of the year if you can find ripe peaches, even the supermarket peaches. Local is better because they are usually fresh picked.

Peach Brûlée Lavender Flowers & Lavender Cookies

Use an oven proof dish that will handle broiling, or even a skillet will work just fine. I put this Brûlée dish inside a skillet (as you will see in photos below, so that it would be easier to handle and remove from the oven.

Put a layer of thinly sliced peaches into the dish.

 

 

Add sour cream to cover the peaches.

 



 

Sprinkle the top of the sour cream with a layer of brown sugar.

Place under the broiler, and broil until the sugar is melted and bubbly.

Remove from the oven. Let rest for a few minutes. The sugar should crack when hit with the back of a spoon.

When ready to serve, place the Brûlée on a plate and sprinkle the top with lavender flowers and serve with lavender shortbread.

 

Devour!

Lavender Shortbread Cookies

 

I found this recipe online from a bakery in Georgia, but then I found it again in an old cookbook. It's been around for a while.

 

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons dried lavender flowers*

1/4 cup sanding sugar (optional)

 

Line 2 cookies sheets with parchment paper. Before baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees, and place a rack in the lower third of the oven.

 

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, vanilla, and salt at medium speed until creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the flour in thirds, beating until incorporated. Add lavender flowers and mix until combined, making sure the lavender is evenly distributed. Move the dough to a clean bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.

 

Use a one-tablespoon ice cream scoop and place the dough on the parchment, flatten the cookie with a cookie press or the back of a glass dipped in confectioners' sugar. Space cookies one inch apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired. Bake cookies until the edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. After 30 seconds, remove from the parchment onto a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

 

*I buy my lavender flowers through the Charleston Spice Company.

  

 

 

Almond Flavored Peaches with French Vanilla Ice Cream

 

 

 

I put one peeled, sliced white peach, per serving into a bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon sugar over the top and add a tiny bit or drop of almond extract, and stir. Now, add a large scoop of French vanilla ice cream over the peaches. OH MY GRACIOUS! You won't believe what a difference it makes when the ice cream melts and blends into the peaches with the almond and crunch of the sugar. No, you won't mess it up. Give it a try. You will love it.

 

Summer is almost over. Enjoy all the flavors of this wonderful growing season while you can.