Recipe-in-a-Flash: Almond-crusted Baked Peaches

Delicious, quick recipe that those perfectly ripe peaches on your counter are begging for! From chef Virginia Willis, you can whip this up in no time and serve it warm from the oven right after dinner. She suggests resting the peaches on plain yogurt (which I did & it was fabulous), but certainly no one would balk if you used vanilla ice cream. Don’t skip the candied ginger or the sage, both really add to the overall flavor.

Unfortunately, they don't photograph very well but don't let that deter you - this little dessert is terrific!

BTW: there is a “secret” ingredient in this recipe — soy sauce! Not something usually found in desserts, but here’s why it works (from Virginia’s site):

“Soy sauce is highly flavored with umami. However, it’s not solely the unami. We have a couple of things happening here. First, peaches and almond are related and ingredients match when they share key aromas. So, we have the match-up of peaches and almonds. Also, according to The Flavor Matrix by James Briscione and Brooke Parkhurst, stone fruit is a surprise pairing with soy sauce! Both peaches and soy sauce share certain molecular compounds and when that happens it lines up heightened flavor and aroma. There’s an actual physical reason certain things taste good together.”

Enjoy!

Almond-crusted Baked Peaches (Virginia Willis)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 TB unsalted butter - room temp, or 2 TB mild oil, such as sunflower

1/4 C fine almond flour

2 TB coconut sugar or brown sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 1 t pure vanilla extract

1/2 t low sodium tamari or soy sauce

2 freestone peaches

Skyr or yogurt for serving

Candied ginger, chopped, for serving

Honey for serving

Sage leaves for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Combine the fat, flour, sugar, extract, and soy sauce. Stir until smooth. 
2. Halve the peaches and discard the stones.
3. Divide the mixture between the peaches, about 2 TB per peach. Spread it to evenly coat the peach. Place in ovenproof casserole or skillet. Transfer to oven and bake until peach is tender to the point of a knife and the almond topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, garnish the plates with the skyr or yogurt, candied ginger, and honey. Rest the peaches on top and garnish with sage.