Baked peaches with marzipan

An idea stolen from the Swedes. You can make this recipe with nectarines, too, and add blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, scattering them round the stoned fruit.

By Diana Henry in the Daily Telegraph 21 Aug 2009
Serves six

(I used 3 peaches to serve 2, see adjusted quantities in comment at the end)

INGREDIENTS

10 ripe peaches, quartered and stoned
75ml (2¾fl oz) amaretto, marsala or peach schnapps (or more orange juice, if you prefer)
juice of ½ small orange
generous squeeze of lemon
2 tbsp caster sugar
200g (7oz) marzipan
15g (½oz) flaked almonds
icing sugar, to serve

METHOD

Tightly pack the peach quarters in a dish. Pour on the alcohol, orange juice and lemon. Sprinkle on half the sugar. Tear the marzipan into little nuggets, then scatter over the fruit, followed by the rest of the sugar and the almonds. Cook in oven preheated to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for 30 to 35 minutes. The peaches should be tender and slightly caramelised. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar. Offer crème fraîche, whipped cream or Greek yogurt on the side.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/6056859/Fruit-recipes-baked-peaches-with-marzipan.html

Hil's Comment:

So quick and easy, and absolutely delicious, especially with vanilla ice cream if you are feeling wicked!

To serve the 2 of us, I used 3 peaches, 2 - 3 tablespoons amaretto, juice of half an orange and quarter of a lemon, roughly a tablespoon of flaked almonds and about 100g marzipan - a lot I know, but we do love marzipan. This did make it sweet so it needed very little sugar, just about a heaped teaspoon over the top to help it caramelise.

We will definitely be making this one again and again, and I look forward to experimenting with adding any left-over berries that are sitting around. The peaches do need to be properly ripe though.