White Peaches Stuffed with Sheep Milk Ricotta
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Desserts to Dream Of
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 4 large white peaches, ripe yet still firm - free of bruising
  • 1 large lemon
  • 2 Tbs. sweet butter, at room temperature
  • 3 Tbs. flavorful honey
  • ½ plump vanilla bean
  • ⅔ cup of ricotta, preferably sheep milk
  • 14 fresh thyme sprigs, plus additional fresh thyme to garnish the finished dessert
  • ¼ cup lightly toasted sliced almonds
  • Butter to grease the baking dish
Instructions
  1. The evening before you plan to serve the peaches, place the ricotta in a fine strainer set over a bowl. This will allow the ricotta to drain. The next day, discard the milky residue from the ricotta. Hold the strainer with the drained ricotta over a bowl and using the back of a table spoon, rub the ricotta through the strainer. Scrape the ricotta from the underside of the strainer into the bowl. Once all of the ricotta has been run through the screen, add 1 tablespoon of the honey and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Assemble the 2 tablespoons of room temperature butter, half vanilla bean and 2 tablespoons of honey. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and using the back of a small pairing knife scrape the seeds out of the pod. Combine the vanilla seeds, honey and butter until a smooth paste has been formed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Preheat the oven to 400ยบ. Butter a 9 X 13 baking dish.
  4. Using either a vegetable peeler or strip zester, make 8 strips from the lemon peel each about 3 inches long. Cut the lemon in half.
  5. Gently wash and dry the peaches. Cut each peach in half from top to bottom, remove the pit. Rub the cut side of the peach with the lemon. Place the peach halves, cut side down in the buttered baking dish. Lay a slice of the lemon peel and one sprig of thyme under each of the peach halves. Spoon a dollop of the compound butter onto of each of the peach halves, dividing the butter equally. Scatter the remaining thyme leaves around the peaches.
  6. Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, open the oven and baste each of the peach halves with the pan juices. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. The peaches are done with soft to the touch. Remove to cool.
  7. The peaches can be served warm or at room temperature. When ready to serve assemble eight individual dessert plates. Place one of the roasted peach halves in the center of the plate, top with about two tablespoons of the sweetened ricotta. Spoon some of the pan juices over the ricotta and around the peach, top with the toasted sliced almonds and garnish with a thyme sprig.
Recipe by LaBellaSorella at https://labellasorella.com/2016/07/white-peaches-stuffed-with-ricotta/