Peach Dessert
Serves 12-16
INGREDIENTS:
PEACH FILLING
¼ c. cornstarch
¾ c. sugar
2 c. water
½ of a 3 oz. pkg peach Jello
½ of a 3 oz. pkg orange Jello
6 c. peaches cut in chunks
GRAM CRACKER CRUST
2 ½ c. gram cracker crumbs (honey maid brand is best)
¼ c. Powdered sugar
1 square of butter melted
CREAM FILLING
2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
6 oz. cream cheese
INSTRUCTIONS:
1-In a medium saucepan combine: sugar, cornstarch, and water and whisk until smooth.
2-Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it comes to a boil. Boil for about two minute or until it thickens.
3-Remove from heat and add Jello powders, stir well. Place pan in the refrigerator to cool. While it is cooling, whisk occasionally to redistribute cool and hot spots and to keep a skin from forming on top. You want the sauce to get cool but not to set up.
4-While sauce is cooling make gram cracker crust by combining gram cracker crumbs, ¼ c. powdered sugar and melted butter. Stir together until well combined.
5- Reserve ½ cup of crumbs and set aside for later. Press remaining crumb mixture into a 9x13” baking pan to form crust. Place crust in refrigerator to set up.
6-Peel and slice peaches into chunks about ½ ” in size.
7- Combine cooled peach filling with fresh peach chunks by spooning peach chunks into filling using a slotted spoon, allowing any peach juice to settle in the bottom of the bowl and be discarded.
8- gently fold peaches and sauce together, trying not to crush peach chunks. When fully incorporated, pour onto set gram cracker crust and spread carefully with frosting knife or the back of a spoon until you get a nice smooth surface. Place in refrigerator until Jello has fully set, about 1-2 hours.
9- Once Jello layer has set, you are ready to make the cream layer. In a mixing bowl, combine room temperature cream cheese with 1c. powdered sugar. Cream together with electric mixer, scraping sides and bottom often until the mixture is nice and creamy with no lumps.
10- Add vanilla and whipping cream and continue to beat with electric mixer, once again scraping sides and bottom often. Whip these together until the entire mixture is thick and creamy and stiff peaks begin to form when you lift the beaters.
11-Spread cream layer over peach layer carefully until nice and smooth then sprinkle reserved gram cracker crumb mixture on top for garnish.
12- Refrigerate about 3 hours before serving. Slice into squares when fully set and serve on dessert plates. Store left overs in refrigerator uncovered (do not cover with saran wrap or a lid as they will make it go watery)
Notes:
-You can use only peach or only orange Jello if you wish, I just like the combined flavors best.
-I like to make this in a glass pyrex pan to show off the beautiful layers.
-You can substitute whipping cream for 12 oz. of cool whip if you desire. If using cool whip, whip the cream cheese and sugar as directed above then fold in cool whip until well combined then spread on peach layer.
-I like to use a metric kitchen scale to measure ½ pkg of jello. (1.5 oz. of each)
-It is very important to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl and get all lumps out of the cream cheese mixture before adding whipping cream or cool whip to it. If you don’t get the lumps out at this stage, it will result in chunks of thick cream cheese throughout which makes an undesirable texture.