Grilled Peach with Eucalyptus Honey Yogurt and Roasted Almonds

When I look out of the window right now I can hardly believe I made this dessert just last weekend. The sun was shining in a crystal, clear, blue sky and with temperatures between 25 and almost 30 degrees C it was almost like one last trip into summer. An Indian Summer! We decided to visit our friends who live about 2 hours drive from here, in Bavaria in a beautiful mountain region. After spending the whole day trekking and canoing we decided to barbecue for the last time this year.

I was put in charge of creating dessert.



It seems like I am often put in charge of the dessert when cooking with friends. To be honest I do not really think I am a great dessert maker and would rather spend my time thinking up a great marinade or dip.

For this particular dessert I wanted to make use of some fresh summery fruit still available in supermarkets here. Light but exquisite was what was floating in my head when we went to the store to buy our groceries for the barbecue.

I was rather excited to still see peaches and almost a whole crate went into our cart. We all know the perfect pendant to peaches is cream but I was thinking of something lighter. Finally with a few of the items I placed in the cart for the dessert, the look on my friend Katja's face was one of skepticism. I smiled and told her to relax. She'd get her perfect treat I promised.

Today it's been raining "cats and dogs" - non-stop and it's cold. Really brrrr cold. So, looking at the pictures of the dessert I made, brought in a little bit of virtual sunshine. I figured one or two of you out there could also use a bit of spoiling and summer sunshine so I'd like to share my interpretation of peaches and cream with you.

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Ingredients



4 - 5 fresh, juicy, ripe peaches - cut in half and pit removed
400 g thick Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons flavored honey - I used a wonderful Eucalyptus honey, but Lavender honey would also be fantastic.
4 -5 tablespoons almonds - chopped or cut into slices.

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Method



In a small mixing bowl whisk the yogurt with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 3 tablespoons honey. Keep cool.

Dry roast the almonds in a non-stick pan until fragrant and golden. Take out and mix together with the remaining juice and honey. Set aside.

On the barbecue simply place the peaches cut sides facing down on the grill of your barbecue. You will receive best results if you cover the grill with some thick aluminum foil. Grill the peaches for 2-4 minutes.

You can also make these using a grill pan on your stove. Place the peaches without addition of any fat cut sides facing down in the pan. Grill for 2-4 minutes until the peaches are slightly golden and just a tiny bit softer.

In small serving dessert bowls place the peach in the middle, pour some of the yogurt over the top and spoon a generous helping of the honey almonds.

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Verdict



A beautiful way to end the summer with a delicate, light and fruity dessert. I loved the flavor the Eucalyptus honey paired with the fruity, ripeness of the peaches. It was a wonderful and luxurious taste. My friend Katja apologized for not believing in me and promised never to doubt me again. while helping herself to another portion - LOL! I won't let her in on my secret - I am never exactly sure the things I create in my head will actually be as good as I imagine them to be. I guess I was lucky with this one!

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