Have you ever had Tennessee peach pudding?

Have faith with the topping – it always turns out!

We remember the first time we tried it and thought, what kind of magical goodness did we just taste?…it should come as no surprise that we asked for the recipe then and there. This is a two-part dessert that might seem a little counterintuitive to make, but that hits it out of the ballpark every time. The filling is all about the peaches – fresh or frozen – that we lightly dress up with flour, sugar, milk, cinnamon and vanilla to great a thick and creamy filling that tastes absolutely amazing. The counterintuitive part comes in with the topping.

Instead of a crumble or crisp topping, or even a cakey topping, this is a fully liquid topping that you just have to trust is going to turn out like a dream. Sugar, butter and water make up the heart of the “crust” topping that forms on this dessert, but be prepared: it’s fully liquid and gets poured on top of your peach filling. You’ll pour it on and wonder how in the world it’s going to solidify into something crisp and delicious, but have faith! This is going to be great, just give it time.

At the end of it all, you’re going to end up with a beautiful dessert with distinct layers that will have you hooked after the first bite. The filling is the blissful definition of peaches and cream, where the milk and flour bind together and act as a thickener to give these bad boys substance, then you’ve got your topping that mostly solidifies into a crunchy layer, sort of like in a crème brûlée, leaving pockets of molten goodness that pair perfectly with the sweet peaches. This rustic-feeling dessert is so, so good, you have to try it for yourself!

INGREDIENTS

Filling:

• 5 cups peaches, peeled and diced, fresh or frozen
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• ice cream/whipped cream/cool whip, optional, garnish

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 400º F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk together brown sugar, sugar and nutmeg, then mix in butter and water and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is fully dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until combined.
5. Whisk in milk and vanilla extract until smooth, then fold in diced peaches.
6. Pour filling into greased baking dish, then pour topping on top.
7. Place in oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, covering with aluminum foil, if necessary, until cooked through.
8. Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Note

Peaches can be used either fresh or frozen. You can even put frozen peach pie in the oven. If excess moisture appears during the baking process (which is natural when the ice melts), then you must either pause the baking and drain the excess liquid (which is a faster option), or bake for a longer time until the excess liquid evaporates, unless, of course, it flows through edges of the form. Another option when using frozen peaches is to defrost them before adding to the pie and strain the juice, you can even squeeze a little through cheesecloth.