I’m planning a weekend dinner party and love having a make ahead dessert that allows me to spend as little time during the party in the kitchen as possible.  Considering that it’s peak peach season, and very few people have a strong aversion for them, I’d consider it  prime time to dig into my favorite peach recipes at www.californiagirlsgonewine.

This one is fast, can be made ahead, and only tastes better the longer it sits before being reheated!  The very best thing about this recipe is you have two choices when you make it:  Hands on by cooking it on the stove top or hands off by cooking it in the slow cooker!  For what it’s worth, I prefer the more focused control over the end product that comes from using the stove top method.

Amaretto Poached Peaches

• 6 peaches (about 3 pounds), pitted, thinly sliced
• 4 strips lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 3/4 cup Amaretto
• 1/4 cup + 1 TBLS honey
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn if large
• 2 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp cold water OR 3 tsp arrowroot + 2 tsp cold water
• Vanilla bean ice cream (for serving)

For Stove Top:

1. Rinse and dry your basil leaves and peaches, and scrub the skin of your lemon thoroughly before you start your recipe.
2. Heat peaches, lemon zest, amaretto, honey, salt, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and 1 cup hot water in a medium pot over medium heat until simmering.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook until peaches are tender, about 25 minutes.
4. Cover and remove from heat until 15 minutes before you are ready to serve.
5. 15 minutes before you are ready to serve, scoop ice cream into serving bowls and place bowls into freezer.
6. Mix cornstarch OR arrowroot with the cold water until a thin paste forms.
7. Return peach mixture just to a boil.
8. Stir cornstarch or arrowroot paste into peach mixture until sauce starts to thicken then remove from heat.
9. Spoon peach mixture over the ice cream and add a full basil leaf or two. Serve immediately.

For Slow Cooker:

1. Rinse and dry your basil leaves and peaches, and scrub the skin of your lemon thoroughly before you start your recipe.
2. Toss peaches, lemon zest, amaretto, honey, salt, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and 1 cup hot water in slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on high until peaches are tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.
4. Mix cornstarch OR arrowroot with the cold water until a thin paste forms.
5. Stir cornstarch or arrowroot paste into peach mixture until sauce starts to thicken then turn slow cooker off.
6. 15 minutes before you are ready to serve, scoop ice cream into serving bowls and place bowls into freezer.
7. Spoon peach mixture over the ice cream and add a full basil leaf or two. Serve immediately.

**Tip  You can save yourself time during your dinner party by scooping your ice cream into your serving bowls and putting them into your freezer before the party starts.  #GirlsGoneWine

Note that I made a few changes & notes to the original linked recipe:

• They didn’t specify whether to peel the peaches or not, but the photo shows unpeeled peaches;
• The Amaretto (almond liqueur) you use matters to the amount you use.  If you are using Amaretto Disaronno use the amount shown in the recipe.  If you are using another brand you may want to slightly reduce the amount as some tend to have a more pronounced almond flavor.  Adjust according to your taste;
• I found the recipe to be “too saucy” and the sauce to be too thin the first time I made it so I made 2 changes: I increased the peaches from 4 to 6 and added a thickening agent to the sauce (cornstarch or arrowroot).  In this case, use cornstarch or arrowroot to maintain your shiny sauce;
• I read the reviews of the original recipe, on www.epicurious.com, and agreed that it needed just a touch more honey, so I added an additional tablespoon; and
• I added 1/4 tsp cinnamon to compliment the peaches, and tame the spice of the red peppers and the peppery basil.

This recipe served 8 and was a definite crowd pleaser!  #ThisGirlLovesToEat