Here we have a contemporary French dessert which looks elegant when presented and served in individual glasses. Peaches are the seventh most popular fruit to be consumed in France. The French use many different ways to prepare their peaches; and of all those which I have tried making, I haven’t been disappointed, they have been delicious.
INGREDIENTS:
4 ripe peaches, cut in half and stone removed
3 tblsp icing sugar
200 gr brown sugar
80 gr salted butter
120 gr cream (thickened if possible) for sauce
300 gr whipping cream for topping
60 gr water
½ tsp salt
TO PREPARE:
Make the salted caramel sauce first.
Put the sugar and water into a heavy based saucepan and stir till sugar has melted. Once it starts boiling, allow to boil for a minute or two, then add the butter and swirl the pan till the butter has melted. Remove from heat and add the thickened cream and salt. Place pan onto the heat for another minute and stir. Remove from stove and allow to cool to room temperature. Set 6 tblsp aside for drizzling over the top later.
Put icing sugar into a frying pan and place the peach halves, cut side down, into the pan.
Cook on medium heat till sugar melts and then turn the heat down. Cover the pan and allow peaches to cook for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
When peaches are cool, place peach halves into the bottom of a glass. Depending on the size of the peaches, use 2 or 3 peach halves to each glass. Whip the cream, and then when the caramel sauce is cool, stir it into the cream.
Put the cream mixture into a piping bag and pipe the cream/caramel mixture over the peaches. Drizzle some caramel sauce over the cream, and garnish with a few mint leaves.
Although this recipe is simple, allow yourself time for each step to be prepared and cooled.
If all you have are preserved peaches, use them. Follow the recipe as above, and you will still get the lovely flavours come through. Salted caramel sauce does wonders for any dessert.
