BLUSHING PEACHES IN PIMM’S SYRUP

Serves 8

8 firm medium white or yellow peaches (see tip, below)

⅓ cup water

½ cup Pimm’s

2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

⅓ cup caster sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

Whipped cream or ice-cream, to serve

Greek basil, to serve (see tip, below)

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Cut peaches in half and remove or cut out stones. Place peaches in a roasting dish. Combine water, Pimm’s and honey, and pour over fruit. Sprinkle with sugar.

2. Roast for about 15 minutes or until soft but not collapsed. Carefully remove peaches from dish with a spoon and set aside to cool.

3. Return dish with Pimm’s liquid to oven and cook for a further 5 minutes or until thickened to syrup. Remove from oven and stir in lemon juice. Transfer to a heatproof jug and allow to cool. 4. Once peaches have cooled, peel off skin and discard.

5. Serve peaches at room temperature with whipped cream and syrup spooned over. Sprinkle with Greek basil, if using, to serve.

Choose slipstone peaches. Cut in half, through stem, and twist apart. Make sure peaches are firm but not hard or over-ripe and too soft. Greek basil is available in small pots from some nurseries and greengrocers. You can use small regular basil leaves instead.