Did your mum ever feed you canned peaches and ice cream when you were little? If that was your favorite dessert, then you’re going to love this grown-up, slightly boozy version even more! Today we’re making juicy grilled peaches served with vanilla ice cream, topped with sticky-sweet amaretto syrup and chopped pistachios. This is a summer dessert to beat all others.
Ingredients:
Makes 4
Amaretto Syrup:
– 2/3 cup water
– 2/3 cup golden caster sugar
– 2/3 tsp vanilla extract
– 2 tbsp amaretto
Peaches:
– 4 peaches – make sure they’re fairly firm
To serve:
– Vanilla Ice Cream
– 1/3 cup pistachios
Instructions:
1. Place the water, sugar and vanilla extract into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Don’t stir!! Turn down the heat a little and let the mixture bubble until reduced by 1/3 (about 10 minutes). The syrup should have thickened a little by this point (it will thicken a little more as it cools). Turn off the heat and stir in the amaretto. Leave to cool.
2. Roughly chop the pistachios.
3. Slice the peaches in half by cutting around the stone, following the natural line down one side of the peach. Use your thumbs to gently pull the peaches apart (it’s easier to do this if your peaches are quite firm).
4. Gently remove the peach stones using a spoon or a sharp knife — or a combination of both.
5. Brush the cut side of the peaches with a little of the amaretto syrup and place, cut-side-down, on a hot griddle (make sure your griddle has been well oiled to prevent the peaches from sticking). Alternatively you can cook the peaches on the BBQ or under the broiler. Cook for 2-3 minutes on the cut side and a further 1-2 minutes on the un-cut side.
6. Divide the cooked peaches between four plates. Add two scoops of ice cream to each plate, then drizzle with amaretto syrup and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.
Make the syrup first. Place the water, sugar and vanilla extract into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Don’t stir!! Turn down the heat a little and let the mixture bubble until reduced by 1/3. Turn off the heat and stir in the amaretto. Leave to cool.
Roughly chop the pistachios.
Slice the peaches in half by slicing around the stone, following the natural line down one side of the peach. Use your thumbs to delicately pull the peaches apart. Gently remove the peach stones using a spoon or a sharp knife (please be careful!) — or a combination of both.
Brush the cut side of the peaches with a little of the amaretto syrup.
Then place them cut-side-down on a hot griddle.
Cook for 2-3 minutes on the cut side and a further 1-2 minutes on the un-cut side.
Divide the cooked peaches between four plates. Add two scoops of ice cream to each plate, then drizzle with amaretto syrup and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.
You could replace the Amaretto with another spirit or liqueur – whiskey, cherry brandy or Malibu rum would all work great.
What kind of syrup will you put on your grilled peaches? Use the comment section below to tell us what you’d choose!
