Confit of Peaches with Mint

By BobD

There's no showy technique behind this incredibly easy, luscious dessert—you just need great ripe, slightly firm peaches to soak in a simple fruit-infused syrup. Keller tops the fruit with a dollop of Petit Suisse, a French fresh cheese sold in small tubs at some specialty food stores, and a sprinkling of whole toasted almonds. He prefers marcona, the delectable Spanish nut

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup whole blanched almonds
• 4 medium freestone peaches
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 mint sprigs, plus 2 tablespoons shredded mint
• 1/4 cup Petit Suisse, fromage blanc or crème fraîche

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the almonds in a pie plate. Toast for about 5 minutes, or until the almonds are lightly golden. Let cool.

Meanwhile, using a sturdy vegetable peeler, peel the peaches; transfer the skins to a small saucepan. Add the water, sugar and mint sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cut the peaches into small wedges and transfer them to a heatproof bowl. Strain the syrup over the peach wedges and let stand for 5 minutes. Divide the peaches among 4 bowls and spoon the syrup on top. Garnish each serving with the Petit Suisse, sprinkle with the toasted almonds and shredded mint and serve.