Grilled Peaches with Honeyed Mascarpone Cream

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Ripe summer peaches are brushed with brown butter and honey, then grilled until the cut sides caramelize and the fruit slumps into something close to jam. They're spooned over a cold, barely sweet mascarpone cream with toasted pistachios and flaky salt. Twenty minutes, one bowl, and the fruit does all the work — the kind of dessert that only exists for about eight weeks a year, so make it twice.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe but firm freestone peaches
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• neutral oil, for the grates

• 8 oz mascarpone, cold
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 pinch kosher salt

• 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp honey, for drizzling
• flaky sea salt
• 8 small fresh mint or basil leaves

Instructions

1. Make the cream first so it can chill: in a medium bowl, whisk the mascarpone with the powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and pinch of salt until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour in the cold heavy cream and whisk steadily until the mixture holds soft, droopy peaks, 60 to 90 seconds. Stop as soon as it thickens — mascarpone breaks into a grainy mess if you overbeat it. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
2. Toast the pistachios in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant and lightly colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Slide them onto a plate immediately so they stop cooking.
3. In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and keep cooking, swirling, until it foams and the milk solids at the bottom turn golden and smell nutty, 3 to 4 minutes. Pull it off the heat and whisk in the honey, brown sugar, vanilla, pinch of salt, and lemon juice. Set aside.
4. Heat a grill to medium-high, about 425 to 450°F, and scrub the grates clean. Fold a paper towel, dip it in neutral oil, and wipe the grates with tongs so nothing sticks.
5. Halve the peaches around the pit, twist the halves apart, and pull out the pits. Brush the cut faces generously with the brown butter glaze, reserving about half the glaze for later.
6. Lay the peaches cut side down directly on the grates. Grill undisturbed until you see deep, glossy grill marks and the edges have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Resist moving them early — sugar needs contact time to caramelize.
7. Flip the peaches skin side down, brush the cut sides with more glaze, and grill 2 to 3 minutes more, until a paring knife slides into the thickest part with almost no resistance. Very ripe peaches may need only 2 minutes; firmer ones up to 5. Move them to a platter.
8. Divide the chilled mascarpone cream among four shallow bowls and spread it into a thick, casual swoosh. Set two warm peach halves on each, cut side up.
9. Spoon any remaining glaze plus the juices from the platter over the peaches, drizzle with honey, and finish with toasted pistachios, a small pinch of flaky salt, and the mint leaves. Serve right away, while the fruit is warm and the cream is still cold.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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