When new cooking magazines arrive in the mail do you savor the moment when you can seek out the must-make-recipes?  When I read through the September, 2011 Southern Living magazine the Easy Skillet Apple Pie popped out as the recipe I-had-make-immediately. Since Georgia peaches are in season I switched apples for a combination of peaches and blueberries. To save a few calories, I decreased the amount of sugar and butter called for in the original recipe. The caramel-y goodness that resides under the bottom crust is soo delicious.

This recipe is fun for the whole family to prepare and enjoy together.

Easy Peach and Blueberry Skillet Pie

Ingredients

• 8 ripe peaches
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1  (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1  egg white
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350º. Peel peaches, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. In a medium bowl, toss peaches and blueberries with cinnamon and 1/4 cup granulated sugar.
• Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from skillet from the heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle flour on the bottom of the pie crust. Spoon peach mixture over piecrust, and top with remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.
• Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving.

For tips on how to clean your cast iron skillet, check out these tips from Real Simple.

Recipe adapted from: Mrs. James Wright, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Southern Living
SEPTEMBER 2011

Easy and Delicious Dessert

Everyone needs a signature dessert. An easy-to-prepare and divine-to-share sweet morsel that is perfect for every season and all reasons. This variation of the famous Bacardi rum cake is my most requested dessert – and my favorite. It is delicious by itself or served with cut pineapple, strawberries or a fruit salad. It’s a ray of sunshine for any gathering.  Rumor has it that is was featured in Bacardi rum ads, available in liquor stores on recipe cards and enclosed in the bundt cake tins.

What makes this thrifty? It’s your signature dessert.  In approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, using ingredients in your pantry and a little rum you can create a memorable dessert for everyday or for special occasions.

Serves 16

Ingredients

• Vegetable spray
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2  cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
• 1 (3.4-ounce) box french vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup rum (dark or light)

Glaze:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup rum (dark or light)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 10-inch tube or 12-cup Bundt pan by lightly misting with vegetable spray and dusting with sugar (or flour) and flour a 10-inch tube or 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts in the bottom of the prepared pan.

In a large mixing bowl, place cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, eggs, water, oil and rum. Combine until well-blended and pour over nuts in pan.

Bake for 50 – 60 minutes or  until cake tests done. Remove from oven and cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. While cooling prepare glaze.

Glaze: In a small saucepan melt butter over low heat. Stir in water and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum.

Invert over serving platter to release cake. Prick cake with a long-thin skewer and drizzle or spoon glaze over warm cake.  Allow cake to cool and absorb all of the glaze before slicing.

Recipe inspiration: various articles and recipes with a nod to Anne Byrn, The Cake Mix Doctor (Workman)

Mama Lynn note: Thanks to the wonderful team at Chambers Studio for working with the Mama Says team today. Enjoy the cake. Sweet dreams.