Roasted peaches, ginger & mascarpone

Peaches, butter, vanilla, spices AND maple syrup - need I say more? Heck just scroll to the roasted peaches recipe down the bottom right now!

Truthfully, when it comes to dessert I'm not a huge chocolate person.  I like to try something a little different when I am out.  Often I choose something with fruit in it so I can pretend I am being healthy too;)  Roasted peaches is a dessert I can 100% get behind - It feels good for you, offers enough sweetness so you know you are having dessert and more importantly unlike chocolate cake it leaves room for a glass of wine at the end too!!

What I love about this dessert - aside from the taste, is it's perfect for a dinner party!  So little prep to do and as everyone is digesting the main course and you are hiding the chaos of the kitchen these guys can slowly roast away in the oven.  Now all you have to do is suffer through Bill telling the same old story for the 31st time.  Maybe I should be re think a dessert to keep you longer in the kitchen?

Types of peaches

There are essentially 2 types of peaches.  Clingstone and freestone.  I know, I know you are probably reading this and saying "is he mad"? Normally you see yellow or pink flesh peaches in the local shop/market.  Well, no I haven't gone mad but I thought I'd give you a quick and basic peach lesson seeing as I have your attention

Clingstone Peaches 

These are peaches that yep, you guessed it the stone clings to the peach.  They have a yellow flesh which gets brighter or redder the closer to the pit.  They are softer, contain a higher sugar content and are great eaten as a snack or in desserts like cobbler, crumble or melba.

Freestone Peaches

You guessed it.  The stones don't cling to the peach as much (which is why I used them in this roasted peaches dessert).  They are firmer and less sweet so they stand up better to baking and you can add things like butter, vanilla and maple syrup - just like I did!!

Peaches come into season during summertime - here in Australia they are readily available in Summer (December - February) and Autumn (March - May) over in Europe and USA they are also readily available in summer time from June - September.  However there is a bit of a saying in Southern America that you shouldn't eat peaches before 4th July and then it's all hands on deck for the next 6 weeks!

Peach benefits

Aside from their amazing versatility peaches have many benefits.  You can make them, roast, them, grill them or just eat them as is!  I have used peaches in desserts like this one, tossed or grilled in salads, with grilled meat, in drinks like sangria or with bourbon and lime!  The list goes on in what you can do with them.

• high in vitamin C - one peach contains as much as 15% of your daily allowance
• help to keep your digestive system regular!
• good for your eyes - your body turns it into vitamin A when eating them
• low in calories, high in water content so a great one to keep you trim
• contains a good amount of vitamin E

Slo Food Group & Vanilla

I teamed up with the slo food group for this delicious peach dessert.  If you haven't heard about these guys then head to their site or instagram feed NOW!!  They don't have the biggest range but what they do have well the quality is second to none.  Things like Madagascar vanilla, cinnamon from Sri Lanka, saffron from Persia and 24k gold leaf from areas that used to be the Mongolian empire.  You can only imagine my excitement when I opened my delivery of vanilla beans.  So stay tuned for some cracking dishes using these products.  Shipping worldwide too makes them the perfect company to use for your vanilla and exotic spice needs.

I was going to write a little on the vanilla beans but best you head to their page and get all the info from the experts!  Heck, why not throw some into your shopping bag while you are at it.  Slo Food Group Vanilla.

Most of all I find peaches are associated with happiness so why not grab a few and whip up this roasted peach dessert and see how much of a smile you will put on your dinner guests face. If you like this recipe (and my ramblings) then don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and/or follow my journey on instagram.

Happy Cooking and Happy Eating Friends!