Peach Beehives

Roxie

One of the best things about summers in the South is the plentiful supply of fresh fruits and vegetables. Here in Georgia, we get particularly excited when peaches are in season. There seems to be no limit to the peachy goodness that we produce during peach season: peach cake, peach preserves, peach salsa, peach relish, peach pie and peach cobbler, just to name a few. My personal favorite of all peach concoctions is the Peach Beehive!

---

Roxie

This has always been a summer staple in my family. My dad first made them while working for a caterer in Tennessee and has spent years perfecting the recipe. Imagine with me, if you will, a whole peach, wrapped in strips of pastry crust, topped with butter and then baked until golden and bubbly. This warm and delicious peach is then topped with a special hard brandy sauce. I am telling you, this dessert is good enough to make you smack your mama!

When word gets out that we have them in The Café, folks come running from miles around! I think the fact that we can only have them for a short period of time every year makes them taste even better.

To celebrate peach season this year I am passing along my Dad’s recipe to you! Make them at home and tell me what you think. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!




Peach Beehives
What you'll need:


For Beehive

• 5 refrigerated Pie Crusts--we like Pillsbury Pie Crusts, they come two to a package
  
• 12 fresh peaches
• 6 Tbsp butter

For Hard Brandy Sauce

• 1 stick butter
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup brandy

What you'll need to do:


Wash your peaches and remove any stem or bad spots.  Set your peaches out on a towel to air dry.  Leaving your peaches damp will help the dough stick to the peaches while wrapping them.  Roll out the pie crust and cut into 1/2 inch strips.

Starting at the bottom of each peach, wrap a strip of crust around the peach. You will want to stretch the pie crust as you go and attach it to the previously wrapped strip so that the crust will not fall off the peach when baked. 

You will need to attach additional strips as you go until the entire peach is covered in pie crust. 

Place wrapped peaches upside down in a glass baking pan. Top each peach with a 1/2 Tbsp of butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 

Allow beehives to cool 10-15 minutes before placing them in individual serving dishes.  Like this one.  Or maybe even this one!

Next, we're on to the Hard Brandy Sauce! Patience and stirring is the key.
Melt one stick of butter in a saucepan on low heat.  Once the butter is completely melted, begin gradually adding powdered sugar while stirring continuously.

Once the mixture becomes stiff and difficult to stir, begin to add small amounts of cream.

Alternate the addition of powdered sugar and cream while stirring until it becomes a smooth, thick sauce.  You will need to use all of the powdered sugar, but you may not need all of the cream.  Next, you will need to temper the egg yolks.  Add a small amount of the sauce to the yolks before adding them to the saucepan.

Continue to stir over medium heat until the sauce comes to a boil.  Stir for two minutes while boiling. 

Remove from heat and slowly add brandy while stirring. Immediately spoon sauce over beehives.

Garnish with nutmeg, and voila!

Be sure to sign up for our Recipe Club so that you will have access to all of our wonderful recipes!

To have fresh Georgia peaches delivered right to your doorstep, visit our friends over at The Peach Truck.