Peach Coffee Cake!

This might sound a bit odd but the other morning while I was outside watering my plants, I could I almost smell a crisp in the air....ah autumn's cool arrival...

Spring is wonderful, Summer full of life, Winter filled with holiday joy but Fall is by far my favorite of all the seasons. You're still full of energy from the huge high that is of summer and all its festivities. The weather is finally starting to cool down so you have an excuse to pull out those cute sweaters and cardigans. If you're a sports fan, you can't argue Fall isn't one of the best seasons -  you have the height of baseball season, the start of NFL Football (Woo!), and in a few months basketball season will start, oh let's not forget Hockey!  

Fall is the beginning of all things warm and fuzzy and the Holidays are right around the corner! It may be a tad too early you say but I can almost hear jingling of bells in the background...And finally Fall is the best time for spending time cooking and baking in the kitchen. Steam coming off the stove top, a cake baking in the oven, its warm aroma filling the house, it makes you want to grab a blanket and curl up with a good book or take a nap. 

So to welcome this Fall season I decided to put a new play on an old recipe. Peach coffee cake to close out the last of stone fruit season! We pretty much had ice cream all summer long so when caveman came home with a bunch of peaches and told me to put them to good use, done.

Peach Coffee Cake
Adapted from Nectarine Crumb Cake

Ingredients:

For cake:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 stick butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3-4 peaches, skin removed, pitted, and cut into ¼” slices

For crumb topping:

• 2-3 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• Pinch of salt

Procedures:

For crumb topping:

1. Brown butter by melting it at medium heat. Stir until butter turns golden brown. Remove from heat and let it cool before proceeding.
2. Once butter is cooled, add in all the other ingredients and mix until it begins to crumble. Set aside

Poaching the peaches: 
**works ONLY with RIPE peaches, otherwise the skin will not peel

1. In a large enough pot for 3-4 peaches, fill with water and bring to a boil. Put peaches in boiling water and let it boil for about 1-2 minutes. 
2. Pour out hot water and immediately fill with cold water. You may put the peaches in an ice water bath.
3. Remove the peaches from the cold water bath and the skin should easily peel off.

For cake:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt
2. Beat butter and sugar together with electric mixer until fluffy. Add in 1 egg at a time, mix and then add in extracts. At low speed, mix in flour until well combined
3. Layer on peaches. Top with streusel and sliced almonds.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.