Pesche ripiene
A Piedmontese dessert for late summer, when peaches are at their sweetest. Yellow peach halves are stuffed with crushed amaretti biscuits, cocoa, egg yolk and the fruit's own flesh, then baked until soft and releasing their juices. The stuffing is bittersweet, almondy and chocolatey, the fruit sweet and juicy. They are served warm or at room temperature, ideally with a spoonful of mascarpone or ice cream. The peaches must be ripe but firm — soft ones collapse in the oven.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Stuffing 15 min
- Baking 35 min
- Cooling 10 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneHalve the peaches
Heat the oven to 180°C. Cut the peaches along their natural groove, twist the halves in opposite directions and remove the stones.
Ingredients: 4 pcs yellow peaches, ripe but firm · 20 g butter · 3 tbsp water
Along the groove — the halves come apart easily.Hollow them out
Scoop a little flesh out of each half with a teaspoon to enlarge the hollow. Chop the flesh finely.
Ingredients: 4 pcs yellow peaches, ripe but firm · 20 g butter · 3 tbsp water
Crush the amaretti
Crush the amaretti in a bag with a rolling pin into fine crumbs.
Ingredients: 60 g crisp amaretti biscuits · 1 tbsp cocoa powder · 30 g sugar · 1 pcs egg yolk
Make the stuffing
Mix the amaretti crumbs with the cocoa, sugar, egg yolk and chopped peach flesh into a moist, thick paste.
Ingredients: 60 g crisp amaretti biscuits · 1 tbsp cocoa powder · 30 g sugar · 1 pcs egg yolk
A moist paste — it will set in the oven.Stuff the peaches
Arrange the halves cut side up in a baking dish. Pile in the stuffing and put a piece of butter on each half. Pour the water into the dish.
Ingredients: 4 pcs yellow peaches, ripe but firm · 20 g butter · 3 tbsp water
A mound of stuffing and a piece of butter.Bake
Bake 30–35 minutes until the peaches are soft and the stuffing crisp on top. Halfway through, baste the fruit with the juices in the dish.
Ingredients: 4 pcs yellow peaches, ripe but firm · 20 g butter · 3 tbsp water
Rest briefly
Take out the peaches and leave 10 minutes — the stuffing firms up and the juices thicken into a syrup.
Ingredients: 4 pcs yellow peaches, ripe but firm · 20 g butter · 3 tbsp water
Serve
Serve two halves per person, spooned with the syrup from the dish. Warm, they go with vanilla ice cream; cold, with mascarpone.
Ingredients: 4 pcs yellow peaches, ripe but firm · 20 g butter · 3 tbsp water
Before you start
Which peaches
Yellow freestone peaches are best. Nectarines work too.
With wine
Instead of water you can pour a glass of sweet wine, such as Piedmontese Moscato, or Marsala into the dish — the syrup will be more fragrant.
Making ahead
Baked peaches keep 2 days in the fridge. Warm them 10 minutes in the oven before serving or serve at room temperature.
