Baked Peaches Recipe

5 from 59 votes

A simple but delicious dessert using ripe peaches and amaretti cookies. These are popular all over Italy but commonly associated with Piedmont

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Servings: servings

Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and butter a baking dish large enough to fit the peach halves in a single layer.
Wash, halve and stone the peaches cutting along the natural line of the fruit.
With a teaspoon or a melon baller, scoop out about a teaspoon of pulp from each half enlarging the cavity. Reserve the pulp.
Place peaches halves into prepared baking dish, cut side up.
Place the amaretti in a small bowl and crush the cookies with your hands.
Stir in the reserved pulp, brown sugar, egg yolk and ground cinnamon. Mix well.
Spoon the filling into the cavity in each peach half as evenly as possible. Dot the tops with butter.
Bake peaches in preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until soft and the filling is starting to firm up.
Serve warm or a room temperature with or without cream or vanilla ice cream.

Substitutions

If peaches aren’t available, nectarines make a great substitute.
For a twist on the flavor, swap the amaretti cookies with dry cookies like ginger snaps or cinnamon-flavored graham crackers.
You can use superfine granulated sugar instead of brown sugar, though you’ll miss out on that rich caramel flavor.

Variations

For a twist, skip the amaretti cookie filling and opt for a crumble or crisp topping—it’s like making mini peach crisps!
Play around with spices to create new flavor combinations. Cardamom, ginger, or nutmeg would be fantastic choices.
For an extra dose of chocolatey indulgence, try mixing a spoonful of cocoa powder or a handful of mini chocolate chips in the amaretti filling.

Tips for Success

When halving the peaches, follow the natural line of the fruit for a clean cut.
Use a melon baller or teaspoon to gently remove about a teaspoon of peach pulp. Be careful not to scoop out too much or too little—taking out too much might leave you short on filling, but the result will still be delicious.