Peach Possets with Brown Butter Peaches

Ingredients

• 4 ripe peaches (Medium; halved lengthwise, centers hollowed while leaving about 1/4 inch of peach around the edges. Reserve the scooped-out peach flesh.)
• 2 cup heavy cream
• 0.333 cup granulated sugar (For the posset base.)
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (Toss the reserved diced peach flesh with some of the juice and stir the remainder into the cream mixture.)
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (For the brown butter peach topping.)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (For cooking the diced peaches; additional brown sugar is suggested for sprinkling at serving.)
• ground cinnamon (A pinch, for the brown butter peaches.)
• whipped cream (For topping, amount to taste.)
• brown sugar (For sprinkling over the finished possets, amount to taste.)

Steps

1. 1

   Halve the peaches lengthwise. Using a spoon, hollow out the center of each half, leaving about 1/4 inch of peach around the edges so each peach half forms a stable serving vessel.

2. 2

   Dice the peach flesh removed from the centers. Toss it with the lemon juice, cover, and refrigerate while preparing the posset base.

3. 3

   Pour the heavy cream and granulated sugar into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a gentle boil.

4. 4

   Maintain a gentle boil for a full 5 minutes, stirring often so the cream does not scorch. The mixture should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.

5. 5

   Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla bean paste until fully combined.

6. 6

   Strain the cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup or pitcher with a pouring lip. This removes any lumps and makes filling the peaches easier.

7. 7

   Arrange the hollowed peach halves in a dish where they will remain level. Pour the strained cream mixture into the peach cavities, dividing it evenly among them.

8. 8

   Cover the filled peaches and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, without rushing the chilling time, until the posset is firmly set in the centers.

9. 9

   Just before serving, melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter smells nutty.

10. 10

    Add the reserved diced peaches, brown sugar, and cinnamon to the browned butter. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 1 minute, stirring gently, until the peach pieces are just softened but not mushy.

11. 11

    Spoon the warm brown-butter peaches over the chilled possets. Finish each serving with whipped cream, a drizzle of the brown butter left in the pan, and a sprinkling of brown sugar.

Notes

The possets need at least 3 hours to set. Keep the filled peaches refrigerated until serving. The whipped cream and final brown-sugar sprinkling are serving suggestions without specified quantities.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• summer dessert
• peach
• no-bake
• refrigerated
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• make-ahead