Aromatic Peach Deassert

Peaches in season is one of the most luscious gifts of the orchard. Fragrant of the summer sun and juicy as the refreshing rain, peaches bake into fantastic pies and desserts. This recipe by Chef Mario d'Orio of the Le Mahatma restaurant is one of these desserts. Fresh peaches are cooked in a syrup of sugar, Kirsch fruit brandy and water before its pits are removed. Into the hollow, the almond paste is stuffed, like the center of a flower. A garnish of English cream and filo pastry completes this wonderful summer dessert.

If you only have canned peaches on hand, you can still make this dessert but with less than stellar results since the peaches are already processed. So by all means, time your preparation when there is an abundance of the fruit from orchards to road side stand to the farmer’s market and fruit stands. You can use the juiciest cling peaches, even the white variety if that is available. Take care not to overcook the peaches so it remains firm (not mushy) and steady to hold the almond paste upright.

To select the best peaches, look at the background color of the peach. Make sure to get the ones with a tinge of orange gold since these tend to be sweet and full flavored. The ones with a hint of green needs a bit more time to ripen so if you do get them, time the dessert making after the peach ripens in a day or two at room temperature. Only when it is fully ripe that you should store your peaches inside the refrigerator.

The dessert takes its name from the edible peach blossoms, which you can also incorporate into the dish as a garnish or additional ingredient. Most often the peach blossoms are made into salads of other edible flowers. Serve the peaches with the cream only when everyone is ready for dessert so it remains fresh. A glass of Banyuls will enliven this bright dessert further.

Ingredients

4 peaches
For the English cream:
1 pint milk
7 tablespoons sugar
6 egg yolks
For the syrup:
1 lb. granulated sugar
1 lb. water
1 teaspoon Kirsch fruit brandy
1.8 oz. almond paste
butter
4 layers filo dough
3 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar
vanilla powder

1. To aid in removing the skin, blanch the peaches in a pan of boiling water. Immediately plunge the fruits in a bowl of ice water. Peel the peaches.

2. Prepare the English cream by mixing together the milk, sugar and egg yolks. Chill it in the refrigerator.

3. Prepare the syrup. In a pan, soak the peaches in the syrup. Add the Kirsch. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the peach pits and replace the pits with almond paste. Reconstitute the peach. Butter and wrap the peach in filo dough. Place in a buttered dish. Add some powdered sugar and vanilla powder. Heat for 2 minutes. Garnish with the English cream.