Around the world in 80 dishes No. 45: Peaches stuffed with amaretti

Ingredients to serve 6

6 freestone peaches if available
4 tablespoons caster sugar
100ml Moscato wine or other sweet white wine
30g unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Marsala
125g amaretti
3-4 drops pure almond extract
1 egg, separated
2 tablespoons rum
2 pinches of ground cinnamon

Method

Choose peaches that are ripe but firm and try to make sure that they are freestone or you might find difficult to remove the stone.

Wash and dry the peaches. Cut them in half, twist each half in opposite directions and remove the stones.

Put 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the wine in a small saucepan and bring gently to the boil. When the sugar has all dissolved, pour the mixture into a shallow, ovenproof dish that is large enough to hold all the peaches.

Use a sharp teaspoon to scoop some of the pulp from each half, leaving about 1cm of flesh all around. Set the pulp aside and arrange the peach halves, cut side up, in the prepared dish.

Put a tiny knob of butter in each peach half and cook in a preheated oven, 160C/gas mark 3, for 10 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and increase the temperature to 190C/gas mark 5.

Heat the remaining butter and sugar in a small frying pan. Add the peach pulp and cook for a couple of minutes.

Pour in the Marsala and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Put the peach pulp with all the juices in a food processor or blender, add the amaretti and the almond extract and process for a few seconds.

Spoon the mixture into a bowl and mix in the egg yolk, rum and cinnamon. Beat the egg white until stiff and fold gently into the mixture.

Fill each peach half with the mixture. Return the dish to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until the top is set. Serve hot or warm.

Taken from 'Classic Italian Recipes' by Anna Del Conte (Hamlyn, £10)