"The TENNESSEE TIPSY TEXAS PEACH"

Surely a mouth full when one calls out this dessert dish of a grilled peach, but there is much more too this name that shares such a savory taste.  Often around the chuck wagon, I like to do either a peach cobbler or a Peach dump cake for dessert because each is ever so pleasing to the palate. Although, for the 4th of July, I decided to be creative surpassing my normal traditions and give those taste buds something to remember. The answer,  "The Tennessee Tipsy Texas Peach."

What in the world is a Tennessee Tipsy Texas Peach? Well, merely a Texas Peach grilled with Tennessee Bourbon of course.  Recipe included below. 

Texas more known for it's great western heritage, cowboys, oil production and the millions of Long Horn Cattle rounded up and herded north during the era of the trail drive, California, South Carolina and Georgia being the three largest producers of fresh peaches, Texas too, harvest over one million bushels each year and the Peach is the leading fruit crop for the Lone Star State.  

Areas such as Stonewall, Frederickburg or Weatherford, Texas are well known for their peach production.  Weatherford, a paramount of western history located in Parker County is the Peach Capital of the World named after state Representative Issac Parker, uncle to legendary Cynthia Ann Parker, a little girl who was stolen from her home by Indians during the Texas Revolution. Cynthia Ann grew up among the Comanche and become the mother of the great Chief, Quanah Parker. Years later, when she was overtaken in flight with an Indian raiding party, it was Isaac Parker who recognized her as his long lost niece. 

Legendary cattle drover Oliver Loving is buried here in Weatherford’s Greenwood Cemetery. After being attacked by Indians in New Mexico in 1867, Loving’s dying wish to his friend, Charles Goodnight, was to be buried in his home, Parker County. Goodnight brought the body back 600 miles by wagon for burial. If this story sounds familiar, it should. It is the inspiration behind Texas author Larry McMurtry’s novel, Lonesome Dove. A year earlier, Charles Goodnight had invented the first “chuck wagon” which catered “fixings” for the cowboys on a cattle drive that would later become known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail.
Boze Ikard, who served with Goodnight and for whom the character “Deets” was modeled, was also laid to rest in the Greenwood Cemetery.

Now known as the Cutting Horse Capital of the World, Weatherford is home to hundreds of professional trainers, Hall-of-Fame horses and a breathtaking, life-size bronze cutting horse. “Cutters” from all over the country, send their horses here for training or breeding to the best studs in the industry. Several National Cutting Horse Association affiliates hold local competitions on a regular basis.

Although, while Texas too produces wonderful peaches, Georgia is well known as the Peach

state which is Georgia's state fruit and home to the Peach Blossom Trail.  The city of Fort Valley, Georgia proudly proclaims to be "The Peach Capital of the World" hosting the annual Peach Festival held in June.  Though neighboring state of South Carolina yields a larger production of peaches over the state of Georgia. Not too be out done, South Carolina rivals that they are the true Peach state as the Peach is also their official state fruit.  Johnston, South Carolina also boast that they are the true "Peach Capital of the World" hosting the annual Peach Blossom Festival every April.  

Regardless of the true Peach state or the Peach Capital of the World, The Tennessee Tipsy Texas Peach is sincerely a likable dessert that your guest will enjoy. Peaches, filled with vitamin A and C are a great source for dietary fiber, beta-carotene and potassium.  Cholesterol, sodium and Fat free, peaches also contain antitoxins that help prevent cancer. 

Tennessee Tipsy Texas Peach

Makes 8 normal Servings unless your feeding four cowboys with healthy appetites:

Ingrents:

4 large fresh peaches
2 tablespoons Honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 cup Tennessee bourbon (substitutes)  Whiskey or Brady
1 tablespoon lemon juice (substitutes) orange juice or lime 

Toppings:

Whip cream, vanilla ice cream, or sweet cream make excellent choices for topping this delicious treat. We used a sweet cream recipe as follows: 

1/2 cup sour cream mixed with 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon bourbon: mixed well and then chilled for two hours. Before adding on peaches, again stir well and top dessert.

Directions:
 
Cut each Peach in half cutting from stem to tip between the cheeks of each fruit. Remove seed but do not peel or remove skin. In a colander, place each cut peach and lightly rinse clean. 

Place halves into a bowl or zip lock bag and add one cup of Tennessee Bourbon mixed with the citrus over the peaches and allow to marinade for at least two hours before cooking. 

Remove peaches from marinade, and pour remaining marinade juices into a small mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, honey and vanilla extract and stir until fully mixed. 

Place peaches, flesh side down on either your outdoor grill, cast iron griddle or griddle pan heated between 350 degrees (F) to 400.  

Turn each peach a quarter turn to provide a nice grill mark after two minutes and continue to grill for another minute. Then flip each peach over and continue grilling on skin side for another 3 minutes.

While grilling, bast each peach with bourbon mix. (NOTE:) Caution should be exercised when using alcohol as a cooking base due to it's flammable content. As the bourbon in bast on the peach, excess basting will gather in the pit area creating an exciting flambe as it glazes and caramelizes.  

Remove and serve warm adding a sweet cream topping or ice cream.  Although, it was my original intention to top with one scope of Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream, I discovered someone stayed up late the night before watching a movie and enjoyed the quart of ice cream planned for this 4th of July treat so I improvised with the sweet cream topping I have used before over fresh strawberries.  

When trying to name our recipe, "the Cowboy Peach." "the Texas Peach," "Hot and Peachy,"  "Not Your Momma's Peach," "No Ordinary Peach," it was friend Brent Bolton with Dutch-masters Catering who believe something needed to say Tipsy. So, since the Bourbon is Tennessee, the peaches where Texas, we decided to call our dish, "The Tennessee Tipsy Texas Peach."  Don't be afraid of adding different toppings to your liking be it adding some crunchy granola, more brown sugar, raspberries, blueberries or as I did, a single strawberry. 

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