Sweet Taste of Peaches, The

Pass out the plates for this fresh-picked fruit and pound cake.

Whatever the season, pound cake rates as a perennial favorite in the South. Warm from the oven or tossed on the grill-it's always irresistible.

Leavened with a dash of baking soda, the fine-crumb texture and delicate lemon-almond flavor of Sour Cream Pound Cake pairs perfectly with summer fruits. We especially love it with fresh peaches, but feel free to substitute nectarines or berries if you'd like.

For a real treat, sprinkle sliced fruit with sugar to taste, and cook over low heat, stirring gently, 3 to 4 minutes or until warm. Spoon over warm pound cake, and top with your favorite ice cream. It's so good, everyone will want a second serving. -MARY ALLEN PERRY

Sour Cream Pound Cake MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN.; BAKE: 1 HR., 30 MIN.

Bake this delicious cake, and store at room temperature up to 3 days; or place it in a large zip-top freezer bag, and store in the freezer up to 2 months.

1 ½ cups butter, softened

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream

1 tsp. lemon extract

¼ tsp. almond extract

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until the yolk disappears.

2. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat batter at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in extracts. Pour into a greased and floured 12-cup tube pan.

3. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan, and cool completely on wire rack. ANITA GUIDRY

CHURCH POINT, LOUISIANA

Whipped Cream

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

PREP: 5 MIN.

Try replacing the tsp. of vanilla extract with a Tbsp. of your favorite liqueur. Almond-flavored liqueur is a perfect match for peaches, while orange liqueur pairs especially well with berries.

1 cup whipping cream

2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Beat whipping cream at low speed with an electric mixer until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Stir in vanilla.

A Spoonful of Sugar

Tossing fresh fmit with sugar enhances its sweetness and flavor. Left to stand for 30 minutes to an hour, the sugar draws the natural juices from the fruit, creating a heavenly syrup.

Basic syrups, easily made by boiling equal amounts of sugar and water, offer delicious alternatives to sprinkling fruit with sugar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. (Leftovers are great in iced tea.)

To be festive, we tossed in some strawberries when making our syrup. They don't add flavor but do tint the syrup a pretty pink color.

Simple Syrup

MAKES ABOUT 1 ½ CUPS

PREP: 5 MIN., COOK: 5 MIN.

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

6 strawberries, sliced (optional)

1. Bring water, sugar, and, if desired, strawberries to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. If necessary, pour syrup through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding fruit; cool.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jun 2006
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved