With peaches still available at local farm stands, you’ll love this recipe for baked peaches filled with ground almonds and amaretti cookies. Top them with vanilla ice cream, crème fraîche, or mascarpone cheese. You’ll find recipes like this in my cookbook Favorite Flavors of Ireland; signed copies available from www.irishcook.com

BAKED STUFFED PEACHES

MAKES 6

1/2 cup ground almonds

6 amaretti cookies, crumbled

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons white rum or sweet white wine

6 peaches, halved and pitted

6 cinnamon sticks 

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. In a medium bowl, combine almonds, cookies, brown sugar and rum or wine. With a melon ball cutter or spoon, scoop out enough pulp from the center of each peach to create a 1-inch deep cavity.

2. Place the peaches in a glass baking dish and fill each with the almond filling; top each with a cinnamon stick.

3. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until fruit starts to collapse. Serve warm or at room temperature.