Riesling Poached Peaches with Mascarpone Cream
Wine Poached Peaches with Mascarpone Cream: A lighter, refreshing dessert served with a dollop of sweetened mascarpone cream, whipped cream, or even ice cream.
This Poached Peaches Recipe is a delightful summer dessert. Perfect when ripe, juicy fresh peaches are at their peak on a hot July or August night!
Why You Must Make
- They make a simple, elegant dessert.
- By fanning out the peach half and garnishing with mascarpone cream and berries, it looks restaurant-worthy.
- Plus, it’s way healthier than most dessert recipes, but you won’t feel deprived.
Ingredient Notes
- Kitchen Staples – Sugar, Honey, Water
- Fresh Peaches – Ripe but not overly soft, peeled, halved with pit removed
- Fresh Lemon Juice – Don’t use bottled juice. Used to help prevent the peaches from browning (oxidizing).
- White Wine – I used Riesling, but any favorite will do. It’s a flavor enhancer.
- Vanilla Bean – Flavors the poaching liquid
- Mascarpone Cheese – Base of the creamy garnish
- Grand Marnier – Also enhances the poaching liquid
- Fresh Raspberries and Mint – Optional garnish if serving to company or for a special occasion.
How to Make
- Squeeze lemon juice over the peaches to prevent browning.
- Make the poaching liquid, and bring to a simmer. Once the honey dissolves, add the peaches and poach as directed.
- Combine water, wine, and honey in a medium saucepan. Scrape seeds from both halves of vanilla beans and pods and seeds to poaching liquid. Heat liquid and stir till the honey dissolves. Lower heat to a simmer and add peaches. Poach as directed.
- Remove the peaches and reduce the poaching liquid to a cup.
- Allow the syrup to cool, reserve 1/4 cup, then pour the rest over the peaches.
- Put the peaches in the refrigerator and chill.
- To serve, whip the mascarpone cream, sugar, Grand Marnier, and the reserved poaching liquid till thickened.
- Fan each half out on a plate, add a dollop of cream and a berry or two, and mint sprig if desired.
- By slicing the peaches from a spot below the stem, lengthwise, I could fan each half out on a dessert plate. A spoonful of the ambrosial cream plus a berry or two and a sprig of mint completed the presentation. It is no lie that I wanted to lick my plate clean; these poached peaches were THAT scrumptious.
Frequently Asked Questions
To poach is to cook gently in liquid without boiling. Poaching adds a subtle flavor through the poaching liquid. The poached egg is probably the most commonly poached food.
Apples, pears, apricots, plums, figs, and cherries will also poach well.
Use all your senses. Peaches should have a fruity aroma and their peels should range in color from pink to yellow to orange. There should not be green spots as this means they were picked too soon.
You May Also Like
- Poached Apples
- Fresh Peach Pie Bars
- Streusel Topped Peach Tart
- Southern Peach Bread
- More of the Best Dessert Recipes
Poached Peaches with Mascarpone Cream
A healthier dessert featuring peaches poached in white wine, honey and vanilla.
Ingredients
- 2 fresh peaches, ripe but not soft, peeled, halved with pit removed
- Juice of half a lemon
Poaching liquid:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup Riesling (or white wine of your choice)
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split in half
Mascarpone Cream:
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier, or other orange liqueur
- Raspberries and mint, optional to garnish
Instructions
- Place peach halves in a large bowl and squeeze lemon juice over the surface to prevent browning.
- Combine water, wine, honey in a medium saucepan. Scrape seeds from both halves of vanilla beans and pods and seeds to poaching liquid. Heat liquid and stir till honey dissolves. Lower heat to a simmer and add peaches.
- Cover peaches with a round of parchment and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Return peaches to the large bowl, then reduce liquid to about a cup.
- Allow the syrup to cool, reserve 1/4 cup, then pour the rest over the peaches.
- Place peaches in the refrigerator to chill completely.
- To serve, whip the mascarpone cream, sugar, Grand Marnier and reserved poaching liquid till thickened.
- Slice peaches almost all the way through, from just below the stem to the other end. Fan each half out on a plate, add a dollop of cream and a berry or two and mint sprig if desired.
Notes
Total time does not reflect chilling time.
Feel free to poach pears, nectarines or apples. Cooking time will vary depending on the variety of fruit used.
For a lighter dessert, serve with some low-fat frozen yogurt instead of the mascarpone.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 475Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 284mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 2gSugar: 46gProtein: 4g
47 Comments on “Riesling Poached Peaches with Mascarpone Cream”
Such a perfect dessert everyone loved! I will definitely try this again!
This recipe is a real crowd pleaser. Made it for a family get together and everyone absolutely loved it!
What a beautiful, simply dessert, Liz! Those peaches may be the stars, but the Riesling plays a very important support role.
Loving all the peaches this week! That vanilla bean poaching liquid is such a great idea to infuse even more flavor!
I wonder if people would look at me funny if I said I wanted this every night for dessert.
This is a special elegant treat and the prep couldn’t be easier.
This is such a gorgeous dessert! Simple, but special enough for an elegant dinner party. Though I’d be happy alone in my kitchen licking a plate, too!