Roast peaches and praline cream

THIS late summer recipe for sweet roast peaches with praline cream serves six. It is made extra luxurious by roasting the peaches with brown sugar and amaretto liqueur, and served with a crunchy praline cream.

The alcohol in the liqueur evaporates due to the heat of the roasting, leaving only the almond flavour, but if you do not take alcohol you may adapt the recipe. Increase the quantity of apple juice by 90ml and add a half teaspoon of almond essence to the liquid.

INGREDIENTS: For the peaches

6 peaches, halved and stoned

6 tablespoons brown sugar

6 tablespoons amaretto

100ml apple juice

For the praline cream

150g sugar

60g toasted flaked almonds

2 tablespoons lemon juice

300ml whipping or double cream

1 tablespoon icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD: Put the peaches into a shallow baking dish in which they sit snugly in a single layer.

Sprinkle on the sugar and amaretto then pour the apple juice around the peaches.

Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on ripeness.

The peaches should be tender and slightly caramelised. You can serve them warm or room temperature.

Put the sugar for the praline into a small pan and add 4 tablespoons of water. Heat gently, tilting the pan every so often to ensure it gets an even heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, boil hard until the colour goes from pale gold to caramel. Don't burn it!

When the mixture looks and smells caramelised pull the pan off the heat, add the nuts and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Pour on to a greased baking-sheet.

Let it cool down and then break it up (bash it in a plastic bag with a rolling-pin, or pulse-blend it in a food processor). You want to end up with a mixture of little chunks and larger shards.

Whip the cream, adding the icing sugar, vanilla and remaining lemon juice, and stir in the praline.

Serve the peaches with their juices and the cream. – The Telegraph