Okay, so I’ve been seeing these amazing-looking Georgia desserts all over my feed, and I just had to try making some. I’m no pro baker, but I figured, how hard could it be, right? Famous last words, maybe…
The Hunt for Recipes
First things first, I needed some recipes. I googled “georgia desserts” and, wow, so many options! I decided to start with something that seemed classic and relatively simple: Peach Cobbler and something called “Gozinaki”.
Peach Cobbler Adventure
For the peach cobbler, I found, like, a million different recipes. Some used fresh peaches, some canned…some had a biscuit topping, others a more crumbly streusel. I ended up picking one that used canned peaches, because, let’s be honest, it’s easier. I also am not farmiliar with the fruit called “fresh peaches”.
- Gathering the Goods: I grabbed a can of sliced peaches in syrup, some flour, sugar, butter, milk, and a bit of cinnamon. I think that was it…
- Mixing it Up: I dumped the peaches into a baking dish. Then, in a separate bowl, I mixed the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. I cut in the butter (which was kind of a pain, to be honest) until it looked like coarse crumbs. Then I stirred in the milk, just enough to make a batter.
- Baking Time! I poured the batter over the peaches and popped the whole thing in the oven. The recipe said 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
- The taste test: Well, I’m not sure it is beautiful or not, but it is still a success, it tastes good!
Gozinaki Gamble
Gozinaki, I learned, is basically a honey-nut brittle. It seemed super simple, just walnuts and honey, but I was a little nervous about getting the honey to the right consistency.
- Sticky Situation: I measured out the walnuts and honey. The recipe I found said to toast the walnuts first, so I did that in a dry pan until they smelled nice and nutty.
- Honey, Honey: Then, I poured the honey into the pan and heated it up. This was the tricky part. You’re supposed to cook it until it reaches the “hard-crack stage,” which I learned means it’ll form brittle threads when you drop a bit in cold water. I may or may not have burned the first batch… Oops!
- Mixing and Molding: Once the honey was ready (I think!), I stirred in the walnuts and quickly spread the mixture onto a piece of parchment paper. It hardened really fast, so I had to work quickly.
- The taste test: After cooled down, I tried it. It’s good, but it is too sweet!
So, that was my Georgia dessert baking adventure! It was definitely a learning experience. The peach cobbler was yummy, even if my crust was a bit…rustic. And the Gozinaki, while a little too sweet for my taste, was still pretty cool to make. I’d definitely try them again, maybe with a few tweaks next time!
