Recipe: Peach Festival Peach Kuchen (with pecans and cinnamon)

PEACH KUCHEN

"This delicious dish could be served either as a breakfast coffee cake or, with a dollop of whipped or ice cream, as a dessert. It was contributed by Bob Conrad in the "Favorite Peach Recipes" booklet compiled by McKnight United Methodist Church for its annual Peach Festival."

1/2 cup shortening (or butter, softened - we used butter)
1 cup white granulated sugar, divided use
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 generous cups sliced peaches*
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans (we used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour an 8x8-inch baking pan.

Cream butter and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Add eggs, then beat. Add flour, salt, baking powder and vanilla; mix well.

Spread half of batter in prepared baking pan. Cover with peaches. Drop remaining batter over the peaches.

Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon and nuts. Sprinkle over top.

Bake in 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes.

*The original recipe called for canned peaches, but we had great success with fresh.

Makes 1 (8x8-inch) cake (double the recipe for a 13x9-inch pan)
Source: Nancy Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 22, 2002