These amaretto grilled peaches pair perfectly with whipped mascarpone and crunchy amaretti cookies for a delightful summer dessert. This post is sponsored by Calphalon. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Beyond Sweet and Savory possible.
Peach season always seems too short as I adore the sun kissed, fragrant, sweet, and juicy peaches. Yellow or white fleshed, round or donut shaped, peaches are those fruits that I eat more than my weight during the summer months. In our kitchen, they go into breakfast, salad, cobbler, cake, ice cream, and many desserts. More often than not, we love eating them as is or making the simplest desserts like grilled peaches. As cookouts are making a comeback, I’m excited to partner with Calphalon to share a few simple tips for making these delightful amaretto grilled peaches. These peaches are grilled to perfection and served with whipped mascarpone and crunchy amaretti for the perfect summer dessert. It’s an easy and fun treat for entertaining family and friends.
How to Pick Peaches for Grilling
Peach season peaks from July to August. Buy directly from farm stands or your local farmers markets. Look at the top where the stem used to be. If it’s golden or white but not green, and starting to wrinkle, that peach is ready to be eaten. When it comes to grilling, pick freestone peaches that are still a little firm to touch. Softer peaches are more ripe and have extra sugars which will caramelize too quickly on the grill and burn. Freestones have pits that are easily removed, a coarser and more fibrous texture, and a richer flavor due to more time developing on the tree. My favorite peaches are the O’Henry varieties known for their beautiful orange skin and bright red blush with sweet and juicy flesh. If you can’t find peaches, nectarines and apricots make great alternatives.
How to Make the Amaretto Syrup
The syrup is made from amaretto liqueur, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peels, and vanilla bean. Let everything simmer on the stove for 10 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and flavor infused. Remove the pan from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Cut the peaches in half, remove the stones, and soak them for a minimum of 1 hour in the amaretto syrup before grilling, turning them halfway through. You can use the leftover syrup for cocktails or a boozy granita.
Tips for Grilling Peaches
Make sure to use a clean grill pan. You don’t want any residual flavors from your steak marinade or vegetables to ruin the delicious taste of the peaches. I love using my Calphalon Premier™ Hard-Anodized Nonstick Grill Pan for effortless food release and easy cleanup. Medium heat is best for grilling peaches. Brush the pan lightly with a neutral flavored oil and grill the peaches uncovered for four to five minutes on each side.
Grilling is a great technique for making fruits soft while intensifying the sweetness. The finished peaches should be caramelized and tender, but not falling apart, with distinct grill marks.
What to Serve Grilled Peaches With
Grilled peaches are delicious on their own but kick things up a notch with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, creme fraiche, labneh, mascarpone, or ricotta. My favorite way to serve grilled peaches is scooping whipped mascarpone in a bowl, adding the warm peaches, drizzling the amaretto syrup, and topping it with crushed amaretti cookies. Plan on at least two peach halves per person.
These amaretto grilled peaches embody summer in all its glory. This simple dessert is packed with flavor--caramelized peaches dripping with amaretto infused syrup, lightly whipped mascarpone, and crunchy amaretti cookies. Skip the decadent brownies and cakes and wow your family and friends with this fuss-free, delectable treat at your next al fresco gathering!
For more summer dessert inspiration, check these recipes: peach raspberry olive oil cake, roasted strawberry cream pie, fig pavlova with orange blossom cream.
Amaretto Grilled Peaches With Mascarpone
Ingredients
- 4 strips of lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup amaretto liqueur
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 4 medium peaches, halved and pitted
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 ounces amaretti cookies, crushed
Whipped Mascarpone
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup mascarpone
- 2 tbsps amaretto liqueur
Instructions
- To make whipped mascarpone, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add heavy cream and confectioners' sugar and beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold in the mascarpone and amaretto liqueur and beat until well combined. Transfer the whipped mascarpone cream to a serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To make the syrup, place sugar, vanilla bean, lemon strips, juice, amaretto, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn heat to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and let it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Put peaches in a large baking dish and pour syrup over them. Let peaches soak in syrup for 1 hour, turning them halfway through.
- Heat grill to medium-high. Brush grill pan with canola oil.
- Reduce heat to medium. Remove peaches from syrup, reserving syrup for serving.
- Place the peaches cut-side down on the grill and cook undisturbed until grill marks appear, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Flip the peaches and grill until the skins are charred and the peaches are soft, 4 to 5 minutes more.
- Remove peaches from the grill. Serve grilled peaches with whipped mascarpone and amaretti cookies.
Emma
So good! I doubled the recipe. Grilled half for a salad and half for ice cream.