The chef's kiss is on this poached peach dessert!
Poached peaches are making a comeback, and they are here to stay. This delightful Italian-inspired dessert is topped with creamy mascarpone and drizzled with amaretti biscuit (Italian macaroon) crumbs for a tasteful crunch. The soft, velvety texture of the mascarpone cream makes the perfect addition to this decadent dessert. The peaches are soft and aromatic as they are soaked in the sweet, almond flavours of Disaronno. Disaronno is a type of Italian almond-flavoured liqueur that's regularly used for mixing in cocktails and is also a pleasure to enjoy on the rocks. If you want your dessert to be alcohol-free, you can simply replace the disaronno with almond extract.
We used the Le Creuset Stoneware Petite Casserole to serve this dessert as it elevates the poached pears and gives a stylish look. The great thing about using ramekins or mini casseroles is that you get to serve your sweet treat to each guest individually at your dinner party. We particularly like Le Creuset's petite casseroles as they are made from durable stoneware, and each comes with a sturdy lid that makes it convenient to poach the pears and decorate right after. If you're the kind of host that always ends their dinner party on a sweet note, this dessert will not disappoint!
Poached Peaches with Almond Cream and Amaretti Biscuit Crumb Recipe
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes Ingredients For the Oven-Poached Peaches:- 4 peaches, bottoms levelled
- 60ml (4 tablespoons) Disaronno or amaretto
- 75g runny honey
- 200ml water
- Vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and divide into 4
- 150g mascarpone
- 25ml Disaronno or amaretto
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar
- 45g hard amaretti biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/ Fan 180°C/ Gas Mark 6
- First, make the syrup by combining the Disaronno, honey, water and vanilla in a saucepan. Place over low heat and very gently simmer to dissolve the honey.
- Put the peaches in the Stoneware Petite Casseroles and pour over the syrup. Place on the lids and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lids and bake for a further 10 minutes to reduce the syrup a little. Test the peaches are softly poached using a small, sharp knife. Remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool.
- In the meantime, make the cream by combining the mascarpone, Disaronno and icing sugar.
- When ready to serve, spoon on the mascarpone cream over the poached peaches and crumble the amaretti biscuits on top.
- Medium-sized round peaches or large flat peaches are perfect for this recipe. If your peaches are a little large, simply slice the bottom of the peach to be able to place on your casserole lid.
- For an alcohol-free version, simply remove the Disaronno and replace it with a teaspoon of almond extract.
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