Piedmontese Stuffed Peaches

If you’re eating in a trattoria in Piedmont at this time of year, there’s a good chance that you’ll find this dolce on the menu. Made with peach halves that have been stuffed with crushed amaretti biscuits, cocoa powder, peach pulp and egg yolk, this oven-baked dish from Italy’s northwest corner is one of those rare desserts with just the right note of sweetness.  And, after savouring that contrast between the peach’s soft, juicy pulp and the crushed amaretti for the first time, there’s a good chance you’ll want to make it yourself at home, which, as it happens, is a simple matter, provided you source the best peaches you can. 

These should be of the yellow variety and as sweet and ripe as possible. Not only will you obtain a better overall result, you’ll also have an easier time removing their pits, hollowing the halves and a greater amount of fleshy pulp to add to your amaretti-based filling. Just to clarify, the variety of amaretti you’ll need to make this dessert are the crisp macaroon-like type (Amaretti di Saronno), not the soft, marzipan-like ones (Amaretti di Sassello). To accentuate the fragrance of the apricot kernels that are in the amaretti, you may also want to upcycle the kernels inside the peach pits and add them to the filling, like many Piedmontese home cooks are known to do. 

The amount of sugar indicated below can be replaced with additional crushed amaretti too. As for the peaches’ serving temperature, the jury’s out on this one. Beppe Lodi and Giovanni Goria, authors of two classic Piedmontese cookbooks (Nonna Genia and La cucina del Piemonte collinare e vignaiolo, respectively), insist on serving them piping hot. Ada Boni, writer of several  classic Italian regional cookbooks such as The Talisman, preferred them cold.  My preference, which has been indicated in the directions below, is a compromise between these two positions: still warm after 40 minutes’ rest. 

At any rate, do make this succulent dessert and decide for yourself!If you’re eating in a trattoria in Piedmont at this time of year, there’s a good chance that you’ll find this dolce on the menu. Made with peach halves that have been stuffed with crushed amaretti biscuits, cocoa powder, peach pulp and egg yolk, this oven-baked dish from Italy’s northwest corner is one of those rare desserts with just the right note of sweetness.  And, after savouring that contrast between the peach’s soft, juicy pulp and the crushed amaretti for the first time, there’s a good chance you’ll want to make it yourself at home, which, as it happens, is a simple matter, provided you source the best peaches you can. 

These should be of the yellow variety and as sweet and ripe as possible. Not only will you obtain a better overall result, you’ll also have an easier time removing their pits, hollowing the halves and a greater amount of fleshy pulp to add to your amaretti-based filling. Just to clarify, the variety of amaretti you’ll need to make this dessert are the crisp macaroon-like type (Amaretti di Saronno), not the soft, marzipan-like ones (Amaretti di Sassello). To accentuate the fragrance of the apricot kernels that are in the amaretti, you may also want to upcycle the kernels inside the peach pits and add them to the filling, like many Piedmontese home cooks are known to do.

The amount of sugar indicated below can be replaced with additional crushed amaretti too. As for the peaches’ serving temperature, the jury’s out on this one. Beppe Lodi and Giovanni Goria, authors of two classic Piedmontese cookbooks (Nonna Genia and La cucina del Piemonte collinare e vignaiolo, respectively), insist on serving them piping hot. Ada Boni, writer of several  classic Italian regional cookbooks such as The Talisman, preferred them cold.  My preference, which has been indicated in the directions below, is a compromise between these two positions: still warm after 40 minutes’ rest. At any rate, do make this succulent dessert and decide for yourself!

Serves 6