Peaches and mascarpone

For this dessert, I needed crushed macaroons. There was nothing at the local supermarket, and they seemed too expensive from the local bakery, just to end up as crumbs in a recipe... So I followed the guide, "comment ne pas rater les macarons", but once again, unlucky with patiserrie, my macaroons end up looking like meringues! Too expanded, and not smooth on top. Well, next time I'll visit chez Mercotte and Lorette to find how it's done right...

Ingredients :

4 to 6 peaches according to size, cut in halves

40 gr crushed macaroons

2 spoons ground almonds

3 spoons icing sugar

15 cl of sweet (liqour) wine

1 spoon cocoa powder

25 gr butter

Mascarpone cream :

2 spoons icing sugar

3 egg yolks

1 spoon sweet liqour wine

225 gr mascarpone

15 cl double cream

• Preheat the oven to 200°c. Use a spoon to remove the peach stones. Take a little of the flesh from around the hole, and keep it to one side.
• Mix the macaroons, the almond powder, the sugar, cocoa and the peach flesh.
• Add the wine to obtain a thick paste.
• Place the peaches in a buttered baking dish, and fill the centres with the paste.
• Place a little butter over each peach half, and pour the remainder of the wine into the baking dish.
• Bake for 35 minutes.

For the mascarpone cream:

• Whisk the sugar and the egg yolks.
• Add the wine, followed by the mascarpone.
• Beat the double cream before incorporating into the mascarpone.
• Remove the peaches from the oven and let them cool.
• Serve accompanied with the mascarpone cream.

The mascarpone (an Italian cottage cheese) also goes perfectly with fresh fruit.