Image via Wikipedia

I’m going to start by telling you how to look for ripe peaches.  When you pick them up they should smell strongly at the stem with a peach scent.  The skin shouldn’t have any blemishes and the peach itself should be slightly firm with a little bit of give to it.  If you can poke it with a finger and break the skin it’s over ripe. 

I’ll start by appologizing that I don’t have any photos of what this incredibleness looked like, but it was gone by the time I’d even thought about writing it up.  This recipe was a lot of fun to make as I was just asked if I wanted to make the dessert and was shown to a kitchen and given any ingredients I could think of.  I’ve always wanted to grill peaches and before I’d even been asked to cook them, one of the party guests had mentioned it.  So, grilled peaches a la mode we go!

Image via Wikipedia

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 tbsp. Pure Maple Syrup
• 2 shots Hennessy XO Cognac
• 10 Ripe Peaches
• 1 large container of Vanilla Ice Cream

Optional (for the sauce):

• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp. All Spice
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Method

1. Cut all the peaches in half and take out the pits, be sure to run a spoon along where the pit was to take out any starchy build up
2. In a small sauce pan bring the water to a boil
3. Add sugar to water
4. Continue boiling for about 7 – 8 minutes until the sugar is all dissolved and it’s slightly thicker
5. Dice 1 whole peach into tiny pieces and add those to the sugar mixture, if you have a food processor you could use that and just add the mashed up peach in
6. Thinly Slice 1 Peach and sprinkle lightly with salt, set aside
7. Add Maple Syrup and Cognac to the syrup
8. Heat grill to high
9. While the grill is heating, turn the syrup down to medium-low and let it simmer the peach flavors in
10. Remove sauce from heat and add the sliced peach to the sauce pan
11. Evenly coat both sides of all the halved peaches and place them on a tray
12. Move them to the grill
13. Grill them Face down for 1-2 minutes(glaze the backs), until the front looks browner or is getting grill marks
14. Flip them and baste again with the syrup and another 2 minutes
15. Flip them face down and baste again, and close the lid this time
16. Continue this process until 8 to 10 minutes have passed and the peaches are soft, but not breaking apart
17. Move them from the grill and prepare your ice cream

Serving

1. In a bowl, add 2 scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream
2. Use your grilling tongs and fish a few of the thinly sliced peaches and put them on top of the ice cream
3. Place 2 grilled halved peaches on opposite sides of the ice cream
4. Drizzle with syrup

• (Optional) Sprinkle with cinnamon or all spice

Image Via Google Images

Everyone loved this one, it was a great crowd pleaser and there are only 6 ingredients involved.  It was light and refreshing after we’d already had a hearty grilled meal.  I really liked the way the peaches turn from a fruit into almost a candy in this dish.  It’s best eaten immediately after and if you have any leftovers, store the peaches in the syrup and you could easily use this the next morning with some pancakes!

Image via Wikipedia

I hope you enjoy this, and as always, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions!