Pesche Ripiene – Stuffed Peaches

The Italians have a way with peaches.  They eat them out of hand.  They put them in wine.  And they fill them with Amaretti cookies and bake them.  Oh, what a dessert.  Peaches were introduced to the Italians by the Persians in the first century of the Common Era.  In fact, let’s set the record straight right here.  No, Titus Pullo did not avail himself of peaches from Cicero’s garden before assassinating the great lawyer and orator.  There were no peaches to be had, unless at that point he had been in Greece.  I, as much as any fan of HBO’s series Rome, hated to see the error.  History calls out to be put right.  The Keeper of the Flame is pleased to oblige.

When I think of summer I think of the cornucopia of fresh fruit we have available.  There are melons and berries, plums and nectarines, but to me the undisputed Queen of Summer is the peach.  Just think of a hot summer day and that first bite into a ripe peach.  Your teeth bite the firm skin.  They meet a bit of resistance.  The skin is pierced and gives entry to the firm but succulent flesh that is the warm, juicy interior of a ripe peach.  The juice drips delightfully down your chin.  You try to catch it all, but you can’t.  Surrender.  This is a peach and it is summer.

Traditionally Italy’s north and central regions were the centers of the Italian peach industry. However over the last twenty years, the south has risen to its current dominance in peach cultivation.  Summer markets all over Italy are flush with the bounty of the Mezzogiorno, and the Italians love it.  I am racking my brain trying to recall the first time I tasted Pesche Ripiene, but it would seem this dessert has been with me forever.  It is easy to make, and it calls for another of my favorites, the Italian pantry staple,  Amaretti.  These cookies originated in 1718 in  the town of Saronno.  The story goes that on the occasion of a visit by the Cardinal of Milan a young couple, Giuseppe and Osolina, baked the cookies.  The Cardinal so loved the cookies that he blessed the couple, and the rest, as they say, is history.  Wrapped in pairs to symbolize love, these delightfully crunchy Italian macaroons are great by themselves, but ground up as part of a filling for peaches, they rise to another level in a dessert that is greater than the sum of its parts.

This dessert is easy.  Easy.  Cut the peaches in half and pit them.  Fill them.  Bake them.  Eat them.  And it is summer.  It is hot.  If you look at the recipe and stop at “Preheat the oven to 350 degrees”, keep reading.  You can do these in your grill.  Really.

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Pesche Ripiene – Stuffed Peaches

2 peaches, ripe but still firm
1/ 2 lemon
1 teaspoon Amaretto

8 Amaretti cookies
1 teaspoon demerara sugar
1 tablespoon Pernigotti or other dark unsweetened cocoa*
2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Chantilly Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream to serve

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut peaches in half.  Remove and discard the pits.  Slightly enlarge the hollow in each half using a mini ice cream scoop, a melon baller or a carefully wielded tea spoon.  Rub the cut side of each peach with the lemon half and drizzle a bit of Amaretto over each one.  Place peaches cut side up in a buttered baking dish.

Place Amaretti, sugar, cocoa and butter in bowl of a mini food processor, and pulverize. Alternately you may crush the amaretti with a rolling pin or your hands and combine them with the sugar, cocoa and butter.

Divide the Amaretti mixture between the peaches, placing it in the hollow of the peaches and piling it on top of the peaches.

Bake for 35 minutes.  Peaches are done when a paring knife slips easily in.

Remove peaches from oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.  While your peaches cool, you can make your ice cream scoops or whip your Creme Chantilly.  Serve peaches with vanilla ice cream or Chantilly Cream.

If you prefer not to use the Amaretto, you may omit it entirely from the Amaretti mixture and substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in the Chantilly Cream.

This is such a terrific summer dessert.  If you really want to keep your kitchen cool, you can bake these peaches in your covered outdoor grill, gas or charcoal.  Be sure to place the peaches in a pan that is safe for the grill.  Cover the peaches with foil. Heat your grill to medium, and bake the peaches.  Check after 25 minutes to see if the peaches are tender.

* If you can not find Pernigotti cocoa, any high quality dark cocoa will do.  Penzey’s makes a delightful high fat Dutch cocoa, available from Penzeys.com.

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Chantilly Cream
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Amaretto

Combine all ingredients and beat until very soft peaks form.

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I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.