Just out the side entrance to the convent one steps directly into an orchard of fruit trees: peaches, nectarines and pears. Most of these trees were gifts to us back when the convent was being built, and what a gift they have been each year, providing us with beautiful fruit for eating, cooking, and preserving into different forms of gifts. Right now the peaches are at their peak, gorgeous to behold, and luscious to eat.
I have been longing to see some of them turned into a dessert. I love peach pie, peach cobbler or crumble, but my heart was set on something cool, light and summery, so I set about to make this happen. Here’s what came of my efforts which were quick and easy — just as I wanted them to be.
SERVINGS6-8peopleCHANGE SERVING SIZEpeople |
COOK TIME30 minutes |
PREP TIME30minutes |
READY IN1 hour |
Ingredients
- 10 peaches ripe
- 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp amaretto liqueur or almond extract
- 2 cups dried beans
- 1 sheet phyllo dough
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut
- 1 container coolwhip
Instructions
- Press one sheet of phyllo into 9 inch pie plate. Shape and crimp edges to form a crust pour beans into shell and bake according to directions on wrapper until golden brown. About 10 minutes. Remove and discard beans. Let cool completely.
- Into a medium saucepan cut up 6 peaches. Add ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar, juice of half a lemon and cook until it begins to thicken into a syrupy sauce. After 20 minutes (approx.) add zest, amaretto or extract. Let cool. Add the four remaining peaches, nicely sliced.
- Soften ice cream and spread half into cool shell. Spread a layer of peaches and syrup across this. Then spread remaining ice cream over peaches. Finally swirl remaining cool whip over entire top and freeze till serving time.
- Cut into wedges, spoon remaining peaches and sauce over each serving and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
