Hey!

Wyoming, Delaware!

I really love your peaches.

Want to shake your treeeeeeeeeee.

The Peach Festival was quite, um,  peachy.

Actually, it was quite hot.

I stayed under a tent for the entire day.

Right after I dropped of my entry for the dessert contest, that is.

There were only three other entries when I made the drop an hour before the contest closed.

The odds were lookin’ good.

I have no problem winning by default.

Except I didn’t win.

You might say I was disappointed.

You might even say I was triflin’.

Triflin’ indeed.

I spent the entire month of July creating this recipe and it certainly was a challenge.

I think I ate cake for breakfast for four straight weeks.

But it was worth it.

This dessert starts with a layer of moist cardemom cake and then gets topped with a peach and amaretto filling. The final layer is a mixture of ooey, gooey caramel and cinnamon glazed pecans. 

PEACH PRALINE TRIFLE

For the cake:

1/2 cup non-dairy butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup peach puree

2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

1 1/2 cups cake flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom (reduce to 1/2 tsp for more less spicy flavor)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream non-dairy butter and sugar for 5-7 minutes.

Add peach puree and liqueur and mix well.

Add flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt.

Stir just until combined.

Pour batter into an 8 inch cast iron skillet and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cool.

Crumble cake into bite sized pieces and set aside.

For the peach filling:

4 peaches, skin removed, then diced

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons arrowroot powder

1 teaspoon amaretto liqueur

Add diced peaches, sugar, maple syrup and arrowroot powder to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil and filling starts to thicken (about 5-7 minutes).

Remove from heat and add liqueur.

Set aside.

For the praline:

3 tablespoons non-dairy butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup peach puree

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup prepared cinnamon glazed pecans, chopped

Combine non-dairy butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, peach puree and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it reaches a dark amber color (this happens  pretty quickly-about 3 to 5 minutes).

Remove from heat and add chopped pecans.

Set aside.

To assemble:

Layer six half-pint mason jars half-way with cake. Add a spoon-full of peach filling.

Top with a spoon-full of praline.

Repeat layers.

Even though I didn’t win, I’m grateful for the experience.

If only because I’m the middle of a month long gratitude challenge.

Every night before bed, I record at least three things in my gratitude journal that I am grateful for.

Today I am grateful for:

1. Fresh, local peaches

2. That the judges were much kinder to me this year.

3.  That I bought myself this consolation prize.

I’m excited to get outfitted for this bike.

Meaning putting a big ol’ basket on the back.

So I can carry all my peaches home from the orchard.

Now that’s a winning idea.

I think I’m finally on my way to inner peach peace.