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Baked peaches perfect for a sunny sunday lunch

I love peaches but how often do you get them in this country when they are really ripe and chin-drippingly luscious? Lets face it, the answer is almost never.
Now help is at hand, particularly if, like us, you're partial to a bit of baked fruit. We have now had this recipe a couple of times and not only does it bring out the best in supermarket peaches it is an absolute walk in the park to make.
Serve it with a generous dollop of mascarpone as the recipe suggests, or with my personal preference, Creme fraiche or indeed vanilla ice cream and you will be transported to a little piece of Italian heaven, particularly if the sun is shining.
The recipe is from The Telegraph Magazine a couple of weeks ago, is written by Rachel Roddy and features recipes from Rome

Recipe
Good things happen when peaches are baked with butter and almonds: the fruit shrivels and its flavour is intensified; the butter and juices create a sticky, rose-tinted syrup; and the amaretti or almonds give a crumbing texture. By the time they’re ready, the peach halves should be slumped as deeply in the dish as my family are in armchairs after Sunday lunch. The peaches are best about 45 minutes after coming out of the oven, so they are just a little warm and the sticky juices are thick but still spoonable. If you do leave them overnight, keep them in the fridge, but remember to pull them out about half an hour before eating.
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Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 50g soft unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 4 ripe peaches
  • 6 amaretti biscuits or 50g ground almonds
  • 50g soft brown sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • the grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
  • mascarpone, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4 and butter an ovenproof dish.
Rinse the peaches and rub them dry. Cut them in half, remove the stone and use a teaspoon to scoop away any hard flesh or fragments of stone. Arrange the peach halves cut-side-up in the oven dish.
Wrap the amaretti in paper or put them in a small plastic bag, then crush them using a rolling pin. In a small bowl, mash together the butter, sugar, amaretti, egg yolk and zest. Spoon a walnut-sized blob of this mixture into the hollow of each peach half.
Bake for 40 minutes, basting a couple of times, or until the fruit is tender, golden and a little wrinkled at the edges. Allow the peaches to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving with mascarpone.
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