Peaches and Cream Pancakes

I have this newly renewed love for pancakes. I've always really enjoyed them, but now that my daughter loves them - it's that much more enticing to make golden stacks of delicious pancakes.

I cheated though... I used the store-brand version of Bisquick. My Vermont slow-food friends would gasp. But guess what? I'm learning why moms need quick, easy to make foods for their kids. They'd gasp again when they find out that I didn't top them with pure Vermont maple syrup. I think I've just run out of my supply since we've moved from there over two years ago (hint to my Vermont friends).

Instead, I decided to continue using up my bushel of peaches that I bought last week. They're ripe and the aroma in my fridge is quite awesome. As soon as I dropped some of the peaches and cream on my daughters pancake, she completely devoured it all. No joke. And... I may have eaten a 3-stack after taking these pictures. Let's just say that I ate a late lunch.

Peaches and Cream Topping

Tops 2-3 pancake stacks
1 peach, peeled and diced
1 T. sugar
1/4 c. water
4 T. mascarpone

Combine the diced peach, sugar and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Let cook for about 5-10 minutes or until water is nearly dissolved.

Take off heat and add mascarpone. Stir until fully incorporated.

Top pancakes and eat while still warm.

The Perfect Dessert

Sharing this recipe is long past due. I've gotten multiple requests for my winning grilled cheese sandwich recipe from the 1st Annual Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Contest that happened back in April. While the picture above is not the exact winning sandwich, it's pretty darn close. The winning recipe used an apple drizzle that I had bought while living in Vermont. Since I did so many practice rounds for the contest, I ran out of drizzle for my photo shoot. So I decided to use a local spread the second time around. This one is a fig and black tea preserve from a maker in Madison, WI. It's heavenly.

Figgy Pudding Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

4 slices cinnamon-raisin bread
4 slices Les Frères or 2 Petit Frère, caps removed and sliced
8 Tablespoons fig and black tea preserve, or your favorite fruit spread (apple is perferred)
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions:

Pre-heat fry pan to medium heat.

Lather two slices of cinnamon-raisin bread with fruit spread. Place two slices of cheese on top of the jam and finish with the second piece of bread, jam facing inward. Repeat for second sandwich.

Carefully butter the fry pan only where you will be placing the sandwiches. Place each sandwich down onto the pan. Cover with a lid (this helps the cheese melt faster).

Once the first side is browned and crisp, carefully flip the sandwiches over with a spatula and brown the second side. Re-cover with a lid.

When both sides are crispy and hot - take sandwiches off of the heat, slice in half, dust some powdered sugar on top and serve with a big cold glass of milk.

Strawberry Mascarpone Pie

Now that I work with fresh mozzarella and mascarpone every day, I'm always looking for new recipes to try. Mascarpone is one of those versatile dairy products that you wonder what you did without in the past. I found this great blog from a fellow Minnesotan blogger (who comes up with some awesome menu planning from farmers market visits - by the way). After I read the post, I drove to the grocery store and bought some fresh strawberries. Actually, I went across the road from the grocery store where the poor guy beats the heat with his awesome produce/berries.

I was home alone for the night, but really wanted to make this pie. I'm on this kick with making pies in a cast iron pan - and fortunately have three different sized pans. I halved the recipe and baked the pie crust in a medium-sized pan. The rest of the recipe is easy - no baking involved - just patience for the filling to firm up before devouring.

The pie is delicious and you must try it!  Just a warning though, try to use a shallow cast iron pan - the crust won't stay up on the sides if you use a deep pan. We learned that today at work, unfortunately.

For the recipe, click here.

Looking for mascarpone? Look for Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese at locations near you! -sorry, I had to put a plug in. I'm in marketing!