Luscious Stuffed Peaches w Caramel & Whisky Sauce

As is always my aim, this recipe delivers a really nice, really easy dish, and I consider it to be so gorgeous that it's suitable for a romantic dinner dessert as well as one to impress a family. It's portable, too, if necessary - so next visit to my brother and sister-in-law I'll be preparing the components and taking them to assemble after main course at lunch.

The quantities given will serve two - with quite a rich filling and sauce, two peach halves is just right per person. The recipe is based on an idea from The Guardian Cook supplements, but the sauce is different. If the ingredients are ready measured out, 25-30 minutes should be enough to prepare and serve.

Here the peach halves are grilled, but could instead be heated and marked on a griddle pan (cut side only is enough) until hot and gently seared. I like whisky in the sauce, but Southern Comfort is good too - or neither, and substitute a pinch of salt.

Ready for the grill or griddle

Luscious Stuffed Peaches with Caramel and Whisky Sauce
Ingredients
2 large ripe peaches
110g mascarpone
2 tsp vanilla extract (otherwise use essence)
70ml single cream (double would work but result in a thicker sauce)
30g soft dark brown sugar
15g butter
1 tsp whisky 

Method
1  Cut each peach right around, starting at the stalk site, cutting right to the stone.
         To remove the stone, hold each half gently and twist - the halves should
         separate (as do avocados), but if not, carefully insert a knife to ease out the
         stone. Put the halves, cut side up, in the grill pan.
2  Put the mascarpone and vanilla extract into a bowl, mix them well and set aside. 

Mascarpone & sauce

3  Place the cream and sugar in a small pan and heat gently, stirring at times, until
         the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer for 3 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove
         from the heat, add the butter and whisky (or Southern Comfort or salt) and stir until 
         the butter has melted.
4  Heat the grill, then place the peaches under it until they start to scorch (keep watch), 
         then remove from the heat and place two halves on each of two small dessert
         plates. 
5  Scoop the mascarpone mixture into the centre of the peaches, then drizzle the
         sauce lightly over them, allowing it to pool a little around the plate.

And ... eat!

If serving this after a cooked meal, you could follow the recipe up to the end of stage 4 before devouring the main course. Then it takes just a couple of minutes for step 5.

I wish we had a peach tree in the garden. Wouldn't be possible with our apples - although come to think of it, plums might work OK providing they are well ripe. But not so decadent.

Pear, Goat Cheese & Cranberry Tartlets with Salted Caramel Drizzle

This is my second entry for EthelTheGoat's Capricorn Challenge. The tartlets themselves have only six ingredients, three of which came from the magic hamper sent by Ethel to fire our imaginations.


Depending on how good you are with rolling/cutting pastry, this recipe should take about 35 minutes from start to serving - the drizzle is made while the tartlets are baking.


Brag Alert:
Of all the desserts I've created over the years - some of which have won prizes - I have to say that this is the one that I most enjoyed eating. It will turn up, for sure, next time we have guests for a meal.


For a change, this recipe makes three tartlets, and I know many people make meals for three. It was also just the way it turned out with the single egg and the pear. The tartlets are best served straight from the oven, as they are so puffed up and fanciable, though warm is OK too. At room temperature they are still good but look flatter. The drizzle should be served warm - it's optional of course, and can be made to go with plenty of other desserts such as plain vanilla ice cream, meringues, large fruit tarts, coffee gateau or fruit salad.


The tartlets here were made in a tray of individual Yorkshire pudding tins; they could be made in smaller jam tart sized tins but they're then gone in a couple of mouthfuls. Not enough! Here's one pictured on a side plate:

Pear, Goat Cheese & Cranberry Tartlets with Salted Caramel Drizzle

Ingredients for the Tartlets

     90g puff pastry (or 1 ready-rolled sheet)

     1 free range egg

     25g Capricorn goat cheese, crumbled

     2 tsp double cream

     1 dessert pear, peeled, quartered, cored & coarsely sliced

     24 dried cranberries (about 20g) (or fresh)

Ingredients for the Drizzle

     75ml double cream

     2 tbsp golden syrup (about 65g)

     25g soft brown sugar (dark or light)

     15g butter

     Half tsp salt

The oven should be heated to 200C, or 180C fan, shelf in the centre. The Yorkshire pudding/tartlet tins should be very lightly oiled.

Method

1  On a floured board, roll out the pastry to an area large enough to cut out three 

          11cm-diameter circles - and cut them out. Press gently into the tartlet tins.

2  Crack the egg into a small bowl and add the Capricorn cheese and the cream. Beat

          gently with a fork until evenly mixed.

3  Place the pear slices neatly into the cases, and pour the egg mixture evenly over them.

4  Sprinkle the cranberries over the tartlets.

5  Bake for 15 minutes or so, until the pastry is browned and the filling well set.

6  Meanwhile, to make the drizzle, place the cream, syrup and brown sugar in a small pan

          and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer gently for 3 minutes then remove from heat.

7  Stir in the butter and the salt. Check for taste (it'll be very hot) in case you feel another

          pinch of salt is needed.

8  Serve the tartlets as soon as possible, pouring the drizzle over and around each one.

It's best not to put the filling into the tartlets until it's time to bake them, otherwise the pastry could go soggy. I filled mine and put them in to bake just as a light main course was served, but the drizzle had been made beforehand. If you tend to linger over main courses - which I know we should - then the drizzle can be made in advance and kept warm, and the tartlets quickly filled and put in the oven as soon as the first diner has finished the main course!

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I've a dream that will never come true, but I enjoy dreaming it. We open a smart vegetarian restaurant called 'Specials', which becomes famous and successful. Whenever I create a dish that's especially pleasing, I always think, 'That can go on the menu at Specials', and then work out how much it costs to make and what we would charge for it. Daydream par excellence.