I eat a lot of fruit. So you’d think it would be hard to pick a favorite, but it’s not even close. Peaches, hands down.
I love everything about them — how the juice runs everywhere when you bite into them, the mix of sweet and tart flavor, the way they scream summer, even the fuzzy skin. They can be used for desserts or savory dishes, too.
Now is the time to eat and cook them, while they’re fresh and in season. I’ve gathered seven recipes from our archives to help you do just that:
Buttermilk Sheet Cake With Peaches and Blueberries. Here’s a recipe hot off the virtual press, from our Bring It columnist Cathy Barrow. This tender, flavorful cake is a perfect complement to the fruit, which adorns the top. (For the record, I could not stop cutting off pieces after we photographed what you see here. It’s just that good.)
Fresh Summer Peach Salad. I’m willing to wager this is unlike any other peach salad you’ve had before. Thai basil, Thai chiles and crushed peanuts bring appealing savory notes, with the peach, watermelon, mango and mint keeping things bright and summery. You’ll keep going back for more.
Peach Ice Cream With Amaretti and Ginger. You better believe I wasn’t going to leave out this recipe I developed for my recently published homemade ice cream guide. Getting peach to come through in ice cream can be tricky, but cooking them down and combining them with freeze-dried peaches was the answer. Amaretti (Italian almond cookies) go particularly well with the fruit’s delicate, floral aroma.
Baked Chicken Breasts With Peaches. Here’s a one-pan dinner that takes a ubiquitous protein and gives it a flavorful, summery makeover.
Light Peach Cobbler. This dessert is vegan and gluten-free, and a creative use of dates helps sweeten and bring together the topping. Adjust the amount of cinnamon to suit your taste.
Peach Fruit Leathers. Meet the perfect way to use up the fruit you overbought at the farmers market. Kids will especially love this snack, which is, of course, miles above those store-bought fruit roll-ups.
Bourbon Peach Shakes. This grown-up shake triples down on the peach, in the form of ice cream, fresh fruit and bitters. We got this heat thing covered.
More from Voraciously:
How to create the ice cream of your dreams
These fish tacos channel the best beach vacation vibes
A week’s worth of dishes to make in your vacation rental this summer
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