Roasted Peaches with Marzipan and Rose Syrup
(Samarkand p.193)
Throughout the Caucasus dried peaches stuffed with a sticky, sweet filling of walnut, almond or pistachio marzipan are a popular street snack. Here fresh peaches get the same treatment before being bathed in rose-scented syrup.
Serves 6
3 ripe peaches, halved and stoned
40g sugar
3 teaspoons rose water
squeeze of lemon
50g ground almonds
40g icing sugar
2 teaspoons flaked almonds
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
Pack the peach halves, cut side up, into an ovenproof dish into which they fit snugly.
Dissolve the sugar in 40ml of water over a medium heat then add 2 teaspoons of rose water. Taste as rose concentrations vary hugely so you may want to stop there or add a little more to make a subtly perfumed syrup. Sharpen with a squeeze of lemon and pour over the peaches.
Pulse the ground almonds, icing sugar and 1 teaspoon of rose water in a food processor until the mixture comes together into a paste. Roll into 6 balls and stuff into each peach half. Scatter over the flaked almonds.
Roast for 30 minutes, or until the peaches are tender and slightly caramelised. If they are browning too fast, cover with tinfoil partway through cooking. Serve hot or at room temperature with thick Greek yogurt.
Recipe by Eleanor Ford from Samarkand by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford
Photo: Laura Edwards
