Nothing smacks of summer more than delicious stone fruits. And this grilled peaches and cream recipe is just the perfect summer dessert for easy entertaining because it can be prepared in advance with very little effort. The peaches are first grilled for a few minutes for a bit of char, then sprinkled with some vanilla sugar before being baked. The natural sweetness that is released from the baking of the peaches and the addition of the vanilla sugar is offset by the slightly acidic flavour of the Creme Fraiche. Served just like that – it’s heaven on a spoon. But with a few little additions, this simple dessert that can easily be elevated into an impressive masterpiece. Just add Pomegranate Seeds and some thyme leaves for a Christmas day delight. To make it even more exciting I like to sprinkle some chocolate and vanilla flavoured Brutti Buoni Nutty Meringues biscuits over the top. They’re my go to off the shelf meringue biscuit which I get from Simon Johnson Providore. They’re a handy pantry addition for jazzing up ice cream or just to have with a good coffee at any time. I’m addicted to them. Most Italian delis should stock them.
Ingredients for Christmas Peaches and Cream
- 9 Yellow or White peaches
- 1/4 Cup White Caster Sugar
- 2 Vanilla Bean pods, with the the beans scraped out
- 250ml Amaretto Liqueur
- 250ml Creme Fraiche
- Seeds from one Pomegranate
- Thyme leaves for garnish
- 9 Chocolate Brutti Buoni Nutty Meringue Biscuits
- 9 Vanilla Brutti Buoni Nutty Meringue Biscuits
Cheat Sheet tips for the peachiest of desserts
- Choose peaches that are just ripe ready. If they are too ripe and soft, it will be difficult to remove the pips without bruising the fruit.
- To cut the peaches or any stone fruit into halves, gently slice the peaches around the natural “seam” making sure you cut down to the pip. Then gently twist the fruit open into halves.
- If the pip is difficult to remove, try ease a teaspoon under the pip to leverage it out smoothly.
- When you grill the peaches, make sure that you KEEP WATCH! You don’t want to burn them to a crisp, you just want some noticeable charring.
- I use creme fraiche with this recipe, but you could also use normal whipped cream. For me the creme fraiche has a nice acidity that cuts through the sweetness of the vanilla sugar and the natural sweetness of the peaches that is released by the baking.
- I’m madly addicted to these Brutti Buoni Nutty Meringue biscuits. Most Italian deli’s should stock them.They’re a handy pantry addition for jazzing up ice cream or just to have with a good coffee at any time. I get mine from Simon Johnson providore in Sydney.
Christmas Peaches and Cream
Peaches and Cream is the dessert of summer. It's a simple dessert that can be elevated into a masterpiece with ease. This grilled peaches and cream dessert will not disappoint. The peaches are first grilled for a few minutes for a bit of char, then sprinkled with some vanilla sugar before being baked. The natural sweetness that is released from the baking of the peaches and the addition of the vanilla sugar is offset by the slightly acidic flavour of the Creme Fraiche. Served just like that - it's heaven on a spoon. But with a few little additions, this simple dessert that can easily be elevated into an impressive masterpiece. Just add fresh pomegranate seeds and some thyme leaves for a Christmas day delight. To make it even more exciting I like to sprinkle some chocolate and vanilla flavoured Brutti Buoni Nutty Meringue biscuits over the top.
Ingredients
- 9 Yellow or white peaches
- 1/4 Cup White Caster Sugar
- 2 Vanilla Bean Pods, with the the beans scraped out
- 250ml Amaretto Liqueur
- 250ml Creme Fraiche
- Seeds from one Pomegranate
- Thyme leaves for garnish
- 9 Chocolate Brutti Buoni Nutty Meringue Biscuits
- 9 Vanilla Brutti Buoni Nutty Meringue Biscuits
Instructions
Vanilla Sugar Preparation
Add the 1/4 cup of caster sugar to a pestle and mortar
Add the scraped vanilla beans to the sugar
Pound with the pestle and mortar until all the sugar and vanilla beans are well mixed
Peach Preparation
Set the grill on high
Cut the peaches in half and remove the pip
Place the peach halves into a flat baking dish with the cut side facing up
Place the peaches under the grill and watch them carefully at this stage to ensure they do not burn
Once charred to your liking, remove from the oven
Turn grill off and put the oven on to 200°C
Sprinkle the peaches with the vanilla sugar - about one teaspoon each
Pour a tablespoon of Amaretto into the centre of each peach
Return to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes until cooked through and the sugar has melted completely. Be careful not to cook them too long as you still want a slight firmness to the peaches
Remove from the oven and cover in foil and set aside until ready for serving
To Serve
Just before serving, reheat the peaches quickly in the oven or in a microwave
Remove heated peaches and add 2-3 halves per serving bowl
Add a small dollop of creme fraiche to each peach half
Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds
Sprinkle over the thyme leaves
Crush the Brutti Buoni biscuits generously over each serving
Notes
If you cannot get the Brutti Buoni Biscuits, you can use any meringue.
