June in the south means peaches are ripening; in my humble opinion, there is no better fruit on earth. Here is an easy, but spectacular dessert to showcase them to perfection. Char these beauties for a few minutes on the grill and then let them bathe in a warm, bourbon, caramel sauce. Of course they need to be cooled with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which slowly melts into the caramel sea. At dessert's end, if polite behavior is not required, I promise that all present will lick their plates like puppies. This recipe feeds four; just double it if you are feeding more.
Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Caramel Sauce
4 ripe, but still firm, peaches
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
2-4 Tbsp. Bourbon or Whiskey
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
Prepare grill to medium heat; be sure the grate is clean so that the peaches won't stick. Halve the peaches and remove the stones.
Make the sauce: melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the bourbon; watch for flames! Return to the heat and whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, to allow the sauce to thicken. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Grill the peach halves; put the cut side down on the grill, grilling for about 5 minutes. You don't want the fruit to cook, only to char a bit on the cut surface. Note: some recommend that you brush the surface of the peach half lightly with vegetable oil before grilling to guarantee that it does not stick.
To plate, set two peach halves, grilled side up, onto a flat dessert plate. Drizzle with the warm bourbon caramel sauce. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or substitute whipped cream), sprinkle with a few chopped, toasted pecans, if desired. Finish with a last swirl of the sauce. In the rare chance that any bourbon caramel sauce is left, store it in the refrigerator; gently warm it and let it flow like hot lava over ice cream. Serves four lucky people.
