Recipe: Peaches Baked with Macaroon Filling (Italian)

PEACHES BAKED WITH MACAROON FILLING

"This is a classic Italian dish often known as Pesche alla Piemontese, peaches in the style of the Piedmont, though I'm not sure exactly why. Piemonte is where the rare and costly white truffles come from, but I've never read or heard that it is peach-growing area. And as far as the macaroon filling is concerned, hazelnuts would be more like it: Piemonte is covered with hazelnut trees. In any case, this is an easy, light, and excellent summer dessert for the middle to the end of the season when you feel like doing something more than just eating a perfectly ripe, juicy peach as is. You can turn this into an elegant plated dessert with a cream sauce and/or an ice. You'll need some packaged Italian amaretti (macaroon cookies) for the filling, and they're pretty easy to find. If you don't see the most common brand, Lazzaroni, packed in bright red tins, there are other brands available, packaged in cellophane bags."

6 large, medium-ripe freestone peaches (1-1/2 pounds), rinsed, halved, pitted, but not peeled
1/4 cup sugar
10 packaged amaretti, finely crushed
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Prepare one 2 to 2-1/2 quart enameled iron gratin dish or other similar-size baking dish, by spraying with vegetable cooking spray

Arrange 10 of the peach halves in the prepared pan, rounded side down.

Coarsely dice the 2 remaining peach halves and place them in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse to chop finely, but stop before the peaches become a smooth liquid.

Scrape the chopped peaches into a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar, crushed amaretti, and egg yolk.

Cover the cut side of each peach half with some of the amaretti mixture, distributing it among the peaches with a large spoon. The mixture is a little runny (more so if the peaches are more pureed than chopped). Don't worry if some of the topping runs off the peaches.

Use a small pastry brush to sprinkle the melted butter over the topping on each peach half.

Bake the peaches for about 45 minutes, or until the peaches have softened and the topping is a deep golden color. Cool on rack.

SERVING:
Serve the peaches warm, at room temperature, or lightly chilled. See also the serving suggestions in the headnote.

STORAGE:
Keep at room temperature until you intend to serve the peaches, or cover with plastic and refrigerate until about an hour before serving. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

VARIATION:

PERE ALLA PIEMONTESE:
Substitute ripe Bartlett pears for the peaches, leaving the skin on the pears, but removing the core, blossom end, and inner and outer stems with a melon-ball scoop.

Makes 5 Servings (2 peach halves per serving)
Source: Perfect Light Desserts by Nick Malgieri and David Joachim