Elderflower Poached Peaches with Vanilla Ricotta Cream

Serves 5

Isn’t there ALWAYS room for dessert?! No matter how stuffed I get from a BBQ, there is always a little space left in my completely separate dessert tummy (that’s an actual scientific anatomical thing that everyone has, right?).  These Elderflower Poached Peaches are a deliciously light and low-calorie healthy dessert but still certainly hit that sweet spot! As I’m about to spend the entire summer in the “Peach State” of Georgia, I thought I would get my taste buds all prepped and ready with this elderflower poached version that is topped with a giant dollop of Vanilla & Elderflower Ricotta, and sprinkled with some Toasted Walnuts. 

This light and healthy dessert is a great way to finish off a BBQ, but more than that, the options for leftover cold peaches are endless so I always make sure I make a double or triple batch too. They get turned into simply fabulous peach pancakes the next morning (if you’ve never tried adding peach to your pancake batter then you are seriously missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures!); they are great in a chia jam; topped with greek yogurt & granola, or even whizzed up into nice-cream. They really are the dessert gift that keeps on giving! 

The peaches themselves aren’t just a delicious summery treat, they actually have strong antioxidant properties, both in the flesh and the skin.   This means that they can help prevent free radicals from damaging our cells, that helps to deter chronic diseases, particularly cancer.  They are a good source of fibre and Vitamin C too.  One portion provides 166 calories, 4g of protein, 3g of fibre and 19% of my daily Vitamin C requirements.  

NOTE: This recipe calls for some Vanilla Bean Paste – I particularly like it because I find it produces a super fragrant, sweet, speckled ricotta cream but if you can’t get your hands on it, then just substitute for regular vanilla extract instead.

INGREDIENTS

For the Poached Peaches

·     5 Peaches – halved with stone removed
·     2 tbsp Yacon Syrup (or Maple Syrup or Honey)
·     200ml Elderflower Cordial
·     200ml Water
·     1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
·     2 tsp Coconut Oil
·     30g Walnut pieces

 For the Elderflower Cream

·     125g Ricotta
·     1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
·     1 tbsp Elderflower Cordial

METHOD

·     Whip together the ricotta, elderflower cordial and vanilla bean paste in a small bowl. 
·     Cover and chill in the fridge while you prepare the rest. 
·     Heat up a griddle pan and grease with a little coconut oil - place the peaches cut side down and heat until you get lovely brown lines after about 4 minutes. NOTE - This stage is entirely optional as it is mainly for aesthetic reasons, but it also helps to caramelise the peaches too. 
·     Melt the coconut oil and syrup in a non-stick pan; and add the water, elderflower cordial and vanilla paste and bring to the boil. 
·     Simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
·     Add the fruit (cut side up) and simmer (covered) for about 10 minutes until the fruit is tender but not too mushy. 
·     In a small frying pan, dry fry the walnuts until they are just starting to brown, stirring constantly to make sure they don’t burn. 
·     Serve immediately with a dollop of the elderflower ricotta cream and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts.

NUTRTIONAL INFORMATION

Calories – 166
Protein – 4g
Fat – 6g
Carbohydrates – 24g
Fibre – 3g
Vitamin C – 19%
Vitamin A – 11%