Sformato di Ricotta con le pesche is an Abruzzese peach dessert that is not only delicious but will also slip down easily after the previous courses’ excess on a hot summer’s day.
I use soft, ripe, drip-on-your-chin peaches as one of my unofficial counters for the start of summer… lots come by even in Abruzzo, hard as nails at the beginning of June from Sicily and imported from Spain & Northern Africa. By the time the white ones used to make a Bellini and those gorgeous flat bottomed Saturn lovelies start arriving you know to shy away from giving them a gentle squeeze at the market without encountering a withering “look but don’t touch” scowl.
Thank you Abruzzo Cibus for showing how to make this on our 1-day Abruzzo cooking course!
Sformato di Ricotta con le Pesche – (Minted Ricotta with Marinated Peaches)
Ingredients
- 500 gm Ricotta
- Grated zest of 1 large un-waxed organic lemon and/or orange
- 4 tbsp Fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2-3 tsp Honey
- 500 g Fresh, ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
- 1 125ml Apricot nectar (undiluted apricot juice)
Instructions
- Combine ricotta, zest, honey and mint in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
- In a non-metal bowl add the sliced peaches. Add the apricot nectar. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.
- If available lightly oil (vegetable oil) a metal pastry ring or smooth round cookie cutter (7cm/3½”). Place in the centre of a dessert plate. Spoon in the ricotta and lightly press with a spoon. Add more ricotta to fill the ring to the top. Press again with a spoon to make it compact. Carefully lift the ring making sure the ricotta retains its form.
- Spoon the marinated peaches over the top. Garnish with a nice sprig of mint leaves.
Author: Sam Dunham
Sam is a very lucky midlife 'mamma' to A who is 12 and juggles her work as a self-employed freelance SEO food and travel copywriter and EFL teacher - she is the founder of English in the Woods. She is the founder of the Life In Abruzzo community and co-founder of Let's Blog Abruzzo.
I'm no fan of peaches, but this just might be what it take to make me a convert. I guess there's only one way to find out, now is there?