Peach Delight

I often turn to “delight” desserts any time I need an easy, cool and creamy treat for a gathering. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a blueberry delight, a raspberry delight, a cherry delight, a chocolate delight or this new peach delight, they always look impressive when sliced. Plus, they feed a crowd easily because delights are typically prepared in a 13×9-inch dish. If you need more convincing, they’re also perfect for making a day or two in advance, which is ideal when you have 10 other things you need to focus on as a host.

My family was literally delighted when I presented them with the pretty, peachy layered slices.

Peach Delight Ingredients

• Peach filling: For the best flavor, use fresh peaches! I use the common yellow variety, but other types of peaches will work too, such as nectarines or white peaches. The peeled, sliced and pitted peaches are simmered with water, sugar and lemon juice. There’s also a little cornstarch in the mixture thicken it.
• Crust: Make an easy, no-bake crust with graham cracker crumbs, sugar, ground cinnamon and melted butter.
• Cream cheese: There are a few ways to soften cream cheese quickly, so don’t panic if you forgot to set out your blocks in advance. Softening the cream cheese is an important step for the smoothest, creamiest texture in the filling.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Sift the sugar first to remove any lumps. This will give you a dreamy, creamy consistency, because confectioners’ sugar dissolves quickly into the other ingredients.
• Vanilla extract: This is a great opportunity to use your homemade vanilla extract! Or, use your favorite brand of vanilla extract.
• Frozen whipped topping: Look for Cool Whip or other brands. The topping should be thawed in the fridge before it’s mixed into the filling for the peach delight.
• Raspberries: Top the peach delight with graham cracker crumbs and fresh red raspberries. The berries add lovely color and tart flavor to balance the sweetness of the dessert.

Directions

Step 1: Make the peach filling

Place the peaches in a large saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved, then pour the mixture into the pan. Stir in the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture until the peaches are soft and the liquid is thickened, stirring constantly, about four to five minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Editor’s Tip: To speed the cooling, transfer the peach mixture to a metal bowl and stir it occasionally during the cooling period.

Step 2: Make the crust mixture

Place the graham crackers in a food processor, and pulse them until they’ve become crumbs. Add the sugar and cinnamon, and pulse until the mixture is combined. With the processor running on low speed, pour in the melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Step 3: Press the crust into the dish

Spread the graham cracker mixture into an even layer in a 13×9-inch baking dish. Use the bottom of a heavy drinking glass to lightly pack the crumbs in. Covert the dish, and refrigerate the crumb crust for one hour.

Step 4: Make the cream mixture

Beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth and fluffy, about two to three minutes. On low speed, beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Fold in half of the whipped topping.

Step 5: Assemble and chill the dessert

Spread the cream cheese mixture in an even layer over the cooled crust. Spread the peach mixture over the cream layer. Spread the remaining whipped topping over the peach layer. Cover the dish, and chill the delight for at least four hours or overnight.

Editor’s Tip: If you want to be extra sure that your top layer is as smooth as possible, use a whisk to stir the remaining whipped topping until it’s smooth, then dollop it over the peach layer.

Step 6: Garnish the peach delight

Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top. Garnish the delight with fresh raspberries. Slice it into squares to serve.

Peach Delight Variations

• Top with other fruit: Fresh sliced blackberries, strawberries or clementine sections are also delicious on top of the peach delight.
• Make a vanilla crust: Instead of graham crackers, use crushed vanilla wafer cookies to make the crust for this dessert.

How to Store Peach Delight

Keep your peach delight refrigerated to protect the quality of the fillings and the flavors. Cover the baking dish tightly with food storage wrap. Refrigerate the dessert before serving it; any leftovers should also be covered and immediately moved to the fridge. The peach delight will last in the fridge for up to five days.

Peach Delight Tips

Do you need to peel peaches before cooking them?

In general, whether or not you peel peaches before cooking them is up to you. Just keep in mind that the peels will add a slight chewy texture to your cooked fruit. For the peach delight, my recommendation is to peel the peaches first because the smooth, creamy texture of the fruit and cream layers is one of the best parts of this dessert.

Can you use canned or frozen peaches in peach delight?

This dessert tastes the best when made with fresh peaches, but if all you can find is canned or frozen peaches, by all means, use them! If you’re going the canned route, use varieties with no added sugar. Drain canned peaches well before proceeding with the recipe. Frozen peaches should be thawed, and excess liquid drained off to prevent the filling from becoming too liquidy.