Recipe: Peaches Foster

PEACHES FOSTER

1/3 cup (3 fluid ounces) dark rum
1/2 cup (2 ounces) golden raisins (sultanas)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter
2/3 cup (5 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced (about 3 cups or 18 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1/3cup (1 1/2 ounces) sliced (flaked) almonds, lightly toasted 4
fresh mint sprigs

In a small bowl, pour the rum over the raisins and let stand until plump, about 30 minutes.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and stir until melted and bubbly, about 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the peaches. Cook, stirring gently so as not to break up the slices, until tender, about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with the cinnamon and stir in the raisins and rum. Heat until the rum is very fragrant, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat, carefully tilt the pan, and ignite the rum with a long match. The flames will subside in about 15 seconds. (Have a pan lid handy to extinguish flames if necessary.)

Spoon the vanilla ice cream in scoops into 4 individual bowls. Ladle the peaches and rum sauce over the ice cream.

Garnish each serving with the almonds and a mint sprig. Serve at once.

Servings: 4
Source: The South: New American Cooking by Williams-Sonoma