Have you tasted Tennessee peach pudding before? We remember thinking the first time we sampled it, “What kind of magical goodness did we just taste?”It should come as no surprise that we immediately requested the recipe. This is a two-part dessert that may appear to be counterintuitive to make.

Have you tasted Tennessee peach pudding before? We remember thinking the first time we sampled it, “What kind of magical goodness did we just taste?”It should come as no surprise that we immediately requested the recipe. This is a two-part dessert that may seem counterintuitive to create, but it always hits it out of the park. The filling is all about the peaches – fresh or frozen – which we lightly dress with flour, sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla to make a rich and creamy filling that tastes just delicious. The topping is when the paradoxical part comes in.

Instead of a crumble or crisp topping, or even a cakey topping, this is a completely liquid topping that you must trust will work out perfectly. The heart of the “crust” covering that forms on this dish is made out of sugar, butter, and water, but be warned: it’s completely liquid and is poured on top of your peach filling. You’ll pour it on and wonder how it’ll form into something crisp and tasty, but have confidence! Give it time, and everything will be fine.

At the end of it all, you’ll have a stunning dessert with different layers that will have you captivated from the first mouthful. The filling is the blissful definition of peaches and cream, with the milk and flour binding together and acting as a thickener to give these bad boys substance, followed by the topping, which mostly solidifies into a crunchy layer, similar to a crème brûlée, leaving pockets of molten goodness that pair perfectly with the sweet peaches. This rustic-style dish is so delicious that you must try it for yourself!

INGREDIENTS
5 cups peeled and sliced peaches, fresh or frozen
2 cups regular flour
1 cup of sugar 1 cup of whole milk
4 tbsp. baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a tsp vanilla extract
a quarter teaspoon nutmeg
Topping:
a third of a cup of brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened butter
3 c. water
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Optional ice cream/whipped cream/cool whip garnish

PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 400o F and gently butter or spray a 913-inch baking dish.
Whisk together brown sugar, sugar, and nutmeg in a large pot over medium heat, then add butter and water and bring to a boil, swirling constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved.
Set aside after removing from the heat.
In a large mixing basin, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
After whisking in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth, stir in the diced peaches.
Pour filling into a greased baking dish, then cover with topping.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until cooked through, covering with aluminum foil if necessary.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 15 minutes before serving.