Peaches are in season and so deliciously juicy right now. I am afraid to eat them in public because of the slurping noises I make and the fact I inevitably get peach juice running down my arms, pooling into my armpits.
And my mother always taught me it wasn't polite to lick my arms in public.
It was time to find a peach recipe. Perhaps something I have to use a knife and fork to eat.
Thanks to Martha Stewart, I turned a nectarine recipe into one for peaches, and lucky for me, and for the general public, it worked like a charm.
Baked Peaches with Pistachios
4 tablespoons shelled pistachios
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 drops almond extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 peaches, halved and pitted
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup crème fraîche*
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop 3 tablespoons pistachios in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter, confectioners' sugar, almond extract, and salt. Process until combined.
Place peaches, cut side up, on a baking sheet, and squeeze lemon over top. Place a generous amount of pistachio mixture on top of each peach half. Chop remaining tablespoon of pistachios, and sprinkle on top.
Bake until fruit is tender and topping is crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to 4 plates.
Whisk together crème fraîche and granulated sugar. Spoon over peaches and serve.
* For delicious variations, try marscapone cheese or plain greek yogurt to top peaches. And I tend to flavor with honey rather than granulated sugar.
What is your favorite way to eat peaches in season?