Grilled Peaches with Amaretto Brown Sugar Glaze

 Let's talk peaches for a second. I know several people whose who do some pretty drastic things for fresh peaches. One of those people is someone that surprisingly has not yet been introduced in to you from my motley crew. We'll just call him Big Man for short; and no, he is not necessarily a very big man, rather that is his lifted truck's nickname, so we'll extend it to him for the sake of nickname continuity. Big Man has been quoted as saying he would "literally do anything for peaches in the summer". So, if you happen to have a couple extra peaches and find out who Big Man really is, you might have some bargaining power.

Why are people willing to go to such lengths for fresh peaches? When ripe, they have a juicy, bright sweetness to them with the perfect texture in the meat and a light, funny layer of fuzz on the peel. They are perfect for a simple desert when cut into wedges and mascerated in just a touch of sugar, to release their juices, with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. You could make Daddy Keg very happy with the aforementioned dessert, but only if it's Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream.


To make a complete 180 from the peach subject, have you ever considered cooking dessert on the grill? More than likely, the answer to that question is a no and before a few days ago, that was my answer too.  However, on my quest to host a dinner party with all the food being cooked on the grill, I decided to try something I've seen on Food Network many times. Grilling my beloved peaches! Originally I was a little worried they would become slightly mushy and lose some of their textural appeal.

Man was I WRONG! The grilling intensifies the flavors and the peach retains that heat well to yield a nice temperature contrast to the aforementioned ice cream. On top of this deliciousness, I decided to add another layer of fun to the mix with the amazing Brown Sugar Glaze. This glaze would be amazing on any number of dessert but gives the top of the peach a nice caramelization and then yields a nice smoothness to the dish as a whole. Through a bit of flakey, crumbled pie crust on top and you have the mecca of flavors / textures here. So enough talk, let's get down to the real stuff...

 Notes:

• Choose peaches that are ripe but still relatively firm for grilling, so that they will not fall apart on you.
• This would also be great with dark rum or similar liquor in the glaze.
• Not feeling ice cream? Try making sweetened whipped cream with a touch of vanilla and cinnamon instead.
• For a touch of whimsy, fill the pit hole with the glaze and let it sit in the nature made bowl!

Grilled Peaches with Amaretto Brown Sugar Glaze
4-6 Peaches, cut in half & pitted
Neutral Oil for grill
4 T. butter
1/4 c. amaretto
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. salt
Vanilla Ice Cream, for serving
1/2 Baked Pie Crust, for serving


Combine the butter, amaretto, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Let the mixture boil until it becomes thick and syrupy, approximately 5 minutes.

Heat the grill to high and be sure that the grates are clean. Brush oil onto the grates to prevent sticking. Place the peaches on the hot grate and grill 3 to 4 minute on each side, basting with the glaze. The peaches will be soft with caramelized grill marks when finished.

Serve peaches immediately with extra glaze, a scoop or two of ice cream, and a sprinkle of pie crust for crunch.