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August 30, 2016 By Deborah Dal Fovo Leave a Comment

Savoring Summer
Baked Sunset Peaches with Amaretti Filling

Baked Sunset Peach with Amaretti Filling - Yellow peach half is filled with fragrant ground almonds, sugar and fruit pulp then baked until luscious and gloriously golden with ruby red rim.

When I was a little girl, I used to play a secret game at the dinner table. I would identify my favorite food on the plate and save a bit of it off to one side to enjoy last. I wanted the special taste to linger in my mouth—and in my mind—after the meal ended. When dinner was almost over, and I’d patiently finished the rest of the meal, I would close my eyes and savor that last luscious bite of goodness. That’s how I feel about summer. While I never want it to end, there are good reasons to look forward to its final moments. Like peaches and sunsets. They are both worth waiting until the end of summer for.

late-summer-sunset-san-franciscoAs summer passes the halfway mark and rounds the corner towards Fall, sunsets grow more vibrant and intense until the evening sky is a pigment-streaked painting of gold, pink and red brushstrokes. That’s what I saw the first time I pulled my Baked Sunset Peaches with Amaretti Filling from the oven—golden spheres rimmed in ruby red and awash in a bright magenta syrup. They looked like a late summer sunset in all its glorious splendor and I named them appropriately on the spot. And, after taking the first bite, I knew there was even more reason to love them.

There’s something magical about the combination of peaches and almonds. Both have unique aromatic qualities that are complimented when they unite and intensified when they are cooked. Here, rosy-skinned yellow peaches are filled with ground almonds, sugar, and peach pulp then baked until spoon soft and golden. The sweet crackle of the caramelized surface gives way to a pudding-like consistency of deeply flavored cooked peach followed by a delicate, chewy filling that leaves a whisper of almond essence on the palate. But—like the soul-satisfying taste of a late summer sunset—one must wait patiently until the latter half of the season to make this dish when the right kind of peach is ripe.

Baked Sunset Peaches with Amaretti Filling - Yellow peach halves are filled with fragrant ground almonds, sugar and fruit pulp then baked until gloriously golden and glazed with ruby red syrup.

Even though peaches come in hundreds of varieties, they are usually only categorized by color—whether they are yellow or white. But an important distinction between peaches—and one that is essential for this dish—is whether they are clingstone or freestone. Luckily, their names give clues to help understand the difference. Clingstone peaches, that are available in early summer, have flesh that clings to the stone or pit. When the fruit is cut in half, it is very difficult to separate because the flesh stubbornly sticks to the pit. They’re the kind of peach you want to bite into and let the juice drip down your chin, but are not appropriate for cooking because they melt. Contrarily, freestone peaches, that are only available in the latter half of summer, have flesh that separates freely from the stone. They are easy to cut in half and separate with a gentle twist, and the pit comes away effortlessly. Freestone peaches have a compact texture that holds up to heat, making them perfect for baking. Only freestone peaches are appropriate for this dish and worth waiting for until late summer.

Baked Sunset Peaches with Amaretti Filling - Yellow peach halves are filled with fragrant ground almonds, sugar and fruit pulp then baked until luscious and gloriously golden with ruby red rims.

I love cooked fruit desserts and this one is my own personal twist on a classic Italian dish that fills peach halves with crushed Amaretti cookies before baking. But instead of using store-bought cookies, which can result in a dry, artificial tasting center, I make my own amaretti cookie filling of ground almonds and sugar infused with peach pulp for extra flavor. When baked inside the peaches, it becomes a delicate yet chewy center that surprises and delights. Before baking, I christen the peaches with white wine or Marsala, which mingles with the rosy color of their skins and creates a gorgeous magenta-tinted syrup in the pan. My dressed up Baked Sunset Peaches with Amaretti Filling are quick and easy to prepare and serve warm or at room temperature with a soft dollop of lightly whipped cream. The sensual, satisfying taste and texture will make them one of your favorite desserts and worth the wait to savor that last, luscious bite of summer.

Baked Sunset Peaches with Amaretti Filling - Yellow peach halves are filled with fragrant ground almonds, sugar and fruit pulp then baked until luscious and gloriously golden with ruby red rims.

Watch as I make my Baked Sunset Peaches with Amaretti Filling step-by-step in this TV appearance below:

BAKED SUNSET PEACHES WITH AMARETTI FILLING
Pesche Ripiene al Forno

Created by Deborah Dal Fovo on August 30, 2016

Baked Sunset Peaches with Amaretti Filling - Yellow peach halves are filled with fragrant ground almonds, sugar and fruit pulp then baked until luscious and gloriously golden with ruby red rims. I gave my peaches this name because they look like a beautiful summer sunset in all its glory. Yellow peach halves are filled with ground almonds, sugar and peach pulp then baked until golden with ruby red rims. They’re luscious and worth the wait until late summer when freestone peaches are in season. © 2009 Deborah Dal Fovo. All rights reserved.

  • Prep Time: 10m
  • Cook Time: 30m
  • Serves: 6
  • Category: Recipes

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe yet firm yellow Freestone peaches, without soft spots or blemishes
  • 5 tablespoons/60g sugar
  • 6 tablespoons/38g finely ground blanched, peeled almonds (see note below)
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter/28g, plus more to grease baking dish
  • Dry white wine or Dry Marsala
  • Soft whipped cream to garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Generously butter a 9-inch baking dish, preferably made of porcelain or glass.
  2. Wash the peaches under cold, running water and pat dry. Divide each peach in half lengthwise by using a sharp knife to cut along the natural crease of the fruit that runs from the stem dimple then continue around its circumference. Separate the peaches halves by gently twisting apart then remove and discard the pits.
  3. Using a melon ball tool or teaspoon, hollow a round 1-inch cavity from the center of each peach half and scoop out the pulp, reserving it for the filling. Arrange the peach halves with cut side up in the baking dish, placing them close together and leaning against one another so they don't tip during baking.
  4. Chop the reserved peach pulp finely and place in a mixing bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of the sugar, ground almonds, 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, and any peach juices that have accumulated on the cutting board, then mix well to combine.
  5. Fill the hollow of each peach with about 1-tablespoon of the almond filling to form a neat mound about the size of a walnut in the center. Lightly christen the peaches with the wine by dipping your fingertips in the liquid and flicking it over the fruit. Evenly sprinkle the surface of each peach with ½-teaspoon sugar, then drizzle with the remaining melted butter.
  6. Place in the center of hot oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the peaches are tender when tested with the point of a paring knife and amaretti filling is lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature, plain or garnished with a dollop of lightly sweetened soft whipped cream.
  7. Note: Finely ground almonds are often labeled "almond flour" in the marketplace. You can also make it from scratch by pulsing 1-1/3 ounces/38g blanched, peeled almonds with 1 tablespoon sugar in a food processor until very fine. Use the chopped almonds in recipe without measuring again but reduce the sugar by 1 tablespoon.
Source: Deborah Dal Fovo for La Bella Vita - The Art of Italian Living
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Filed Under: Desserts - Dolci, Fruit, Recipes

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