FRESH PEACH SUNDAE

When the peaches are ripe in Fredericksburg starting in early June, we get our hands on as many as we can pick. In the early part of the season, we like to just enjoy ‘em as Mother Nature made ‘em – right off the tree! Toward the end of the season, though, we remember that they won’t be around all year, so we begin to store them in various ways so we can enjoy them in the winter months, remembering the lazy summer days. We make many jars of preserves and freeze lots of sliced peaches for making pies. Here’s a hint for freezing “ready-to-bake” peach pies! Line several pie pans with a double layer of plastic wrap, leaving enough wrap on each side to fold over and cover a peach pie. Slice up enough peaches to fill the pie pans and season them and add sugar as you would for peach pies. Divide the peaches among the plastic wrap lined pie pans, add some pats of butter to each one, then fold the overhanging plastic wrap tightly over the top. Stack the pie pans up in the freezer and freeze. When the peach fillings are thoroughly frozen, simply remove the wrapped “filling” and store each one in a gallon-size zip-sealing bag in the freezer. When you’re ready to make a pie, simply make a crust, unwrap a frozen “filling” and slip it in the crust, add a top crust, and bake! But right now while the peaches are fresh, treat yourself to an old-fashioned peach sundae.

Serves 4.

8 scoops Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
4 medium-sized fresh peaches, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup pecan pieces
Chocolate sprinkles
Fredericksburg Farms Peach Pecan Amaretto Syrup
4 Maraschino cherries
Mint sprigs as garnish, if desired