That's Just Peachy Part 2: Very Favorite!

• A visit to old friends down South helped me to remember one of the easiest and best peach desserts.  Don't worry about peach season - this one is almost as good made with canned peaches.  Yes, really!

And I'm not sure if it has a name.  I've seen something like this called a cobbler, but it's not quite a cobbler...and it's not quite a crisp...and I've heard of a 'buckle' but I don't even know what that is.  If there's a real name for this scrumptious peach dessert, please let me know...in fact, let's have a naming contest!

For now, let's call it: T's Very Favorite Peach Dessert. Because it is.  Actually it ranks in his top 3 all-time favorites - along with iced sugar cookies and Italian Cream Cake!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Pour 1 (29 oz.) can of sliced peaches WITH juice into a buttered 9 x 13 baking pan.  Make sure the juices cover the peaches.  OR, slice and peel enough peaches (6-8) to make a solid layer in the bottom of the pan, and toss with 1/2 cup of sugar.  (If you use fresh peaches, you might want to give it some time at this point, so that the sugar starts to draw the juices out of the peaches.) Photos show 1/2 recipe, and for the sake of experimenting, these peaches weren't peeled; don't leave the skins on unless you particularly like them that way.  

But they sure do look pretty, don't they?

In a small bowl, cut with a pastry cutter 1/2 cup cold butter or margarine into 1 (18.25 ounce) dry white, butter pecan, or yellow cake mix (just the mix, don't follow the box directions), 1/2 cup white or brown sugar (the brown will provide a little more textured topping), and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.  If you're not sure what a pastry cutter is, go to www.pastrycutter.net.  I was amazed to see a web address dedicated to pastry cutters...

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• Sprinkle this mixture over the peaches.  Poke some holes in the topping to be sure the juiciness can get through. That's all there is to it!
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Bake at 350 for approximately 40 minutes, until the juices are bubbly and the topping is crusty and golden brown.  Check it in about 20 minutes - and note that with fresh peaches, you might need to give it a gentle stir at this point to pull some juiciness to the top. You'll know you need to do that if it's looking a little too flour-y on top.  

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• I hope you have the ice cream ready.  I've never seen a dessert that begs for ice cream more than this one...