Date Sweetened Peach Drizzle

This date sweetened peach drizzle (thicker than a syrup, thinner than a butter) tastes like peach caramel. It’s perfect for spooning over pancakes, waffles, and french toast.

I started working with California Dates sometime last fall. They’d send me dates, I’d develop a recipe, and I’d share it to Instagram. Earlier this week, they gave me the go-ahead on my latest recipe and the thought occurred to me that I should post it to the blog as well as Instagram. Because this Date Sweetened Peach Drizzle is so delicious, it deserves the extended life the blog will give it.

Working with dates always takes me back to the time when I was writing Naturally Sweet Food in Jars. That book contains a whole chapter devoted to preserves sweetened with dried fruits and I relied heavily on dates in that section. If you like that book, this drizzle will speak to you.

You start by peeling two pounds of peaches. I like do to this by cutting the peaches in half and arranging them in a heatproof baking dish. Then I bring a kettle of water to a boil and pour it over the halved peaches. I let them sit in the hot water for a couple minutes and then drain and rinse. After that, the peels typically lift right off (bruised ones will offer slightly more resistance).

Then you combine the peaches in a pot with a pound of pitted dates and add a cup of water. Place a lid on the pot, place it on the stove, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the peaches and dates are completely soft.

Let the peaches and dates cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to a blender. Puree until smooth. Finally, you return the peach and date puree to the pot and cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly. The goal is to reduce the drizzle just until there’s no water separating out. Don’t cook it too long or it will lose its peachy hue and drizzleable consistency.

Finally, spoon the finished drizzle into freezer safe containers. Because this preserve has such a high volume of dates, which are lower in acidity, I don’t feel comfortable processing it for shelf stability. Instead, I portion it out into jars or containers that can be frozen. It will keep a couple weeks in the fridge or up to six months in the freezer.

I really love using this one to sweeten my toddlers’ morning yogurt. It’s also great on pancakes, waffles, french toast, Dutch babies, and slabs of cornbread.

And if you like the concept of a fruit drizzle, make sure to check out my Peach Vanilla Drizzle, Pear Vanilla Drizzle, Mixed Stonefruit Drizzle, and Pear Drizzle with Lemon and Ginger.

Yield: 6 half pints

Date Sweetened Peach Drizzle

This date sweetened peach drizzle (thicker than a syrup, thinner than a butter) tastes like peach caramel. It's perfect for spooning over pancakes, waffles, and french toast.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds peaches, peeled
• 1 pound dates, pitted
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. In a large pot, combine the peeled peaches, pitted dates, and water.
2. Place the lidded pot on the stove over high heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the peaches and dates are completely soft.
3. When the fruit is soft, let it cool for a few minutes. Then transfer it to a blender container and puree smooth.
4. Return the peach and date puree to the pot and cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly. The goal is to reduce the drizzle just until there's no water separating out.
5. Spoon the finished drizzle into clean, freezer safe containers.
6. The drizzle will keep a couple weeks in the fridge or up to six months in the freezer.

Notes

When peeling a small volume of peaches, don't use the traditional blanching method. Instead, cut the peaches in half and arrange them in a heatproof baking dish. Bring a kettle of water to a boil and pour it over the halved peaches. Let them sit in the hot water for a couple minutes and then drain and rinse. After that, the peels typically lift right off (bruised ones will offer slightly more resistance).

© Marisa McClellan

Category: butters, sauces, curds

* This article was originally published here