It’s prime time for peaches right now, and this is a remarkably easy – and remarkably delicious – way to use up the ones on your counter that are going too ripe. Roast them up with some honey, butter, and vanilla and serve with a crumbly streusel-like topping and some cinnamon whipped mascarpone for a delicious summer treat!
So I realize it’s been about forever since I posted an original recipe! Let me not blame a long month of moving, house hunting, and work that never cuts me a break. Let me not add that it’s also difficult finding and scheduling time to take over a kitchen in a house that isn’t yours! Let me also not cry that the movers packed my DSLR and I really, really, really hope they don’t break it but at the same time, I am just not a skilled iPhone photographer.
I mean, the basic photography principles still apply, whether you’re shooting with your phone or a top of the line camera. But you really have to apply those principles. Lighting matters a whole heck of a lot more, as does staging. There’s not as much detail captured so things are harder to fix in post-production.
But you know what? I’m actually kind of excited about that. I’m looking forward to actually having to do the work, and re-learning how to shoot photos. Making the time and paying attention to detail is only going to help me shoot better, and I’m excited to keep learning. And then, when I finally do get my camera back, I’ll be able to make the most of it.
In the meantime, this is a starting point with Florida thunderstorm lighting and the “props” I cobbled together out of my in-laws’ kitchen on short notice, because I actually had an unscheduled weekend afternoon, everyone was cozied up watching TV rather than planning an outing thanks to the rain, and we had a bunch of peaches that needed to be used up.
I’ve been playing with a bunch of ideas for peaches, but I’ve seen a lot of recipes come up combining them with whipped mascarpone. I decided to roast these with honey, butter, and a little bit of my homemade bourbon vanilla extract to really tease out their flavors. Then I added some streusel-like crumble topping and some whipped mascarpone.
These suckers are delicious. We polished off a lot of peaches with this technique – so don’t ask me how well they keep. None of ours survived to see if they reheat well.
Honey Roasted Peach Crumble with Whipped Mascarpone
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mascarpone
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsp butter unsalted
- 4 peaches ripe, halved, and pitted
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
For the Crumble:
- Start by making the crumble. Preheat your oven to 375F and line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Mix together the sugar, brown sugar, flour, and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Cut in 2 tbsp of butter and add the olive oil. Gently work the mixture with your fingers until it forms large stresuel-like crumbs.
- Transfer to the sheet pan and spread in an even layer. Bake, shaking up the crumble about halfway through, at 375F for 10-12 minutes or until it's a nice golden brown. Set aside and let cool.
For the Whipped Mascarpone:
- Combine the mascarpone, cream, remaining cinnamon, and 1 tbsp honey in a small dish. Let sit at room temperature while you roast the peaches.
Roasted Peaches:
- In a small sauce pan, melt 2 tbsp of butter. Stir in the remaining honey and the vanilla until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Halve and pit the peaches. Place the peaches in a baking dish and brush with about half of the melted butter, vanilla, and honey mix.
- Bake at 375F for 15 minutes. Brush again with the melted butter, vanilla, and honey mix and bake an additional 5 minutes.
Serving:
- Serve the peaches, including juices scooped from the pan, topped with the crumble and the mascarpone, as much as you like!
Nutrition
Pairing Note: A lot of wines have peach character in their flavor profile, but you don’t want to over-peach yourself! For this sweet desert, a sparkling Moscato or a blanc de noirs Champagne {champagne that’s made from black-skinned grapes, and contains a very different flavor profile – one of the grapes used is actually pinot noir!} work well, or one of the things I’m finding as I keep learning about wine is that a rosé goes literally with just about everything. They’re so versatile!
I hope this gives you yet another way to enjoy those delicious peaches you have sitting on the counter, and to enjoy those summer flavors!
What do you all think of this recipe? We’d love to hear!
