Peach Flambé Dessert

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 5 mins

Total: 10 mins

Servings: 2 servings

Learning the right techniques to flambe your food can turn an ordinary meal, savory or sweet, into an unforgettable dish. From the French term for «flamed,» «to flambé» means to add alcohol to the preparation so it bursts into flame. This process partially burns the alcohol content but keeps the wonderful flavor of the alcohol used. Although many people think that alcohol is burned in its entirety, flambé dishes shouldn’t be served to pregnant women, kids, or people who abstain from alcohol.

Our wonderful recipe for a romantic dessert for two uses the flambé technique to enrich the flavor of ripe peaches. Make in less than 10 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream, mascarpone, baked ricotta, or whipped cream.

As with any flambéeing process, don't allow pets or kids to be near the stove, wear an apron, and be mindful of the volatility of alcohol, always standing as far back as you can. Remember to never add the alcohol from the bottle to the pan, but to transfer the amount you're using into a ramekin or a small container. There's the chance that the whole bottle can catch on fire.

Ingredients

• 2 peaches, ripe but still firm

• 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, or vegan butter

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons dark rum

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Cut in half, remove the pit, and slice each one of the ripe peaches into about 4 or 5 slices.

3. In a heavy, deep skillet with a long handle, melt the butter, or vegan butter, over medium heat.

4. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and stir.

5. Add peach slices and cook until the fruit is fairly warm and has started to soften, or about 1 to 2 minutes.

6. Turn over the peaches and let them cook an additional 30 seconds.

7. Remove the pan from the heat and add rum to taste. Swirl the liquid in the pan for a bit.

8. Put the pan back on the heat. Using a kitchen lighter or very long match, pass the flame over the pan. Stand back and avert your face. Allow the flame to die down and the sauce to thicken slightly.

9. Remove from heat and serve.

10. Enjoy.

Other Flambéing Ideas

Peaches have a great texture for flambéing, but other fruits can be prepared using this technique:

• Apples and bourbon: Peel and slice 2 firm and sweet apples. Follow the recipe instructions, cooking the apples in butter and sugar. Add Bourbon instead of rum and serve with whipped cream and sliced pistachios.
• Pear and amaretto: Peel and slice 2 firm and sweet pears. Follow the recipe instructions, cooking the pears in butter and sugar. Add 2 tablespoons of Amaretto to flambé the fruit. Serve with sliced almonds.
• Pineapple and disaronno: Remove the core of 2 fresh sweet pineapple slices, or used canned pineapple if you can't find fresh. Follow the recipe instructions, cooking the pineapples in butter and sugar. Add a squeeze of lime juice, stir, and then add 2 tablespoons of Disaronno to flambé the fruit. Serve with coconut ice cream.