Honeyed Grilled Peaches
A couple weekends ago, I went up to visit my parents in Maryland. They live in an area with a lot of orchards, so as you can imagine there are quite a few farms and produce stands around! It happened to be the weekend of a local peach festival, so I went by and enjoyed some peach pie and took in all the small-town glory. Before I left, I had to buy some peaches from my favorite local farm – Ivy Hill Farm. I swear I've never had a peach as good as the ones from Ivy Hill. But everything is better with brown sugar and cinnamon, so I decided to use a couple of them to make some grilled peaches!
Don't get me wrong – I love peaches as they are, raw and even a little fuzzy! They're one of my favorite fruits, and nothing compares to a local peach in summer. But the peach season always feels so short, and out-of-season peaches that you can get at the grocery store just aren't as good. Throwing them on the grill makes okay peaches great, and great peaches indescribable. And this is so easy, it isn't even really a recipe – you just grill some peaches and toss some sugary things on top!
What you end up with tastes almost like peach cobbler, but without the pastry, which is what makes cobbler not exactly the best thing for your body. (Don't get me wrong, I love any baked treat, but I also want to take care of myself!) Not only are grilled peaches delicious, but as far as desserts go, they're actually pretty good for you because the ingredients are mostly natural! Grilled peaches also take significantly less time than peach cobbler does, clocking in at just around 12 minutes total. Good for you, easy to make, and it only takes a few ingredients. What more could you ask for?
If you're like me and need something to satisfy your sweet tooth most nights after dinner, this is a light, fresh summery dessert that you won't feel bad about eating night after night. At least, I don't!
Another plug for Ivy Hill Farm – follow this link to learn more, and shop local if you're in the area, or swing by the Farm Festival in the fall!
HONEYED GRILLED PEACHES
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Bake Time: ~10 minutes
Ingredients
Peaches (1/2 - 1 per person, depending on size)
Vegetable oil spray
Brown sugar
Sugar
Cinnamon
Honey
Directions
Turn on your grill to just above medium heat. Wait impatiently for it to heat up. In the meantime, in a small prep bowl, mix some brown sugar, white sugar, and a little cinnamon. The proportions here are completely up to your taste, and you'll need about 1 tsp of this mixture per whole peach.
Slice the peaches in half and remove the pit. Spray each half with oil, on the flat open side, not on the skin. Place each half on the hot grill, oiled-side down, for about 5-7 minutes. You can check them every few minutes to make sure they're not burning. You do want to be able to see the grill marks darken, though!
Once your grill marks are dark enough, flip the peaches over so they're skin-side down and let them bake (grill top down) for 3-5 more minutes. Then, remove from the grill and top with the sugar mixture. Drizzle a little honey over the top as well to add some extra sweetness. Enjoy while still warm!
Optional: You could always top these with some extras – chopped nuts, a little vanilla ice cream, or some whipped cream! Personally, I love peaches so much that I didn't want to overdo these, but to dress them up a little more, the options are endless.
Happy Eating,
Natalie