July 25, 2016 • BOOKS, FOOD, RECIPE

Hello, Sugar: Recipe for Boozy Baked Peaches

ChixChessPeach-2061

Any dessert recipe with the term “boozy” in the title has us immediately sold. Case in point: this one for Boozy Baked Peaches from Nashville Eats, a cookbook and culinary history of Music City’s thriving foodie scene. “Peach season is in full swing,” says author Jennifer Justus. “You’ll find their fragrance perfuming the entire Nashville Farmers’ Market these days. This dish lets the fruit shine with just a little help from bourbon.”

See the recipe below; buy the book here; and click here to read our Q&A with author Jennifer Justus.

Boozy Baked Peaches from Nashville Eats by Jennifer Justus

I learned about cooking peaches in a muffin tin from a 1977 edition of the Nashville Junior League cookbook, Nashville Seasons Encore. It’s a smart way to keep the fruit upright and the gooey filling from spilling over the sides.

The bourbon and butter in this recipe help soften the gingersnaps to create a rich, boozy center for the peaches. They’ll need nothing more when they come out of the oven, but if you’re feeling decadent, add a dollop of crème fraîche and a shake of cinnamon to garnish.

Ingredients

  • 3 peaches, halved and pitted
  • 6 gingersnap cookies, broken into pieces
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • Crème fraîche for serving (optional)
  • Ground cinnamon for garnish (optional)

Makes six servings.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the peach halves cut side up in the muffin tins. In a small bowl, stir together the gingersnap pieces, brown sugar, pecans, bourbon, and butter. Spoon the mixture into the peaches and bake them for about 15 minutes. Serve them with crème fraîche and cinnamon if you like.