Last week, Nate and I went on a road trip down the coast of California and I came to a realization...I am a farm girl at heart. There's something comforting about the view of the rolling hills at sunset, cows lazily roaming the fields, and driving past rows and rows of fruit trees, the scent of peaches filling the car. Someday, I would love nothing more than to have a big farmhouse on an orchard, but until then, the farm stands and farmer's markets will have to do.
On our way back up to Seattle, we stopped and bought a few pounds of peaches on the side of the road. This time of year, I tend to buy more peaches than I could ever eat before they turn south (I have a bad habit of bringing home pounds and pounds from the Sunday market...). Needless to say, I've gotten a pretty impressive collection of canned peaches building up in the pantry. This recipe from Food in Jars is my favorite. They're just slightly sweetened, but not so much that it takes away from the true flavor of the peaches themselves.
This might be one of my favorite ways to roast peaches. It's an update to the classic peaches and cream, with just a slight toffee flavor thrown in. This recipe makes enough for two to share, or one large serving.
Toffee Roasted Peaches with Whipped Cream
1-2 canned peaches, I used 6 quarters
2 tbsp demerara sugar (brown sugar can be substituted as well)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1. Preheat your oven to either broil or the highest temperature it will reach. Move one rack to the top position.
2. Put peaches in a small, oven-safe dish. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar.
3. Place in oven on top shelf. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until peaches are just starting to caramelize on the edges.
4. While the peaches cook, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixture. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high until soft peaks form. This works best if your whipping cream is very cold, so take it out of the refrigerator at the last minute.
5. Set whipped cream aside until the peaches are ready. There will most likely be whipped cream left over for your next round of dessert.
6. Once the peaches are starting to caramelize, remove from the oven and allow to cool for an additional 15-20 minutes. Top with whipped cream and serve.
