Fuzzy Peaches

  There is a restaurant located here in Utah that serves a dessert called "Fuzzy Peaches". When I finally got the opportunity to try it for the first time, I was immediately hooked. The dessert consists of battered and deep-fried peach halves served over a warm cinnamon-caramel with scoops of vanilla ice cream and mango sorbet, then drizzled with raspberry sauce. Are you drooling yet?

  The small town I live in has a festival the second weekend of September each year called "Peach Days". Our town is know for it's peaches, and rightly so...they're delicious! So, every September I spend my days in the kitchen bottling peaches and creating anything I can think of to use this delicious fruit while it's in season. This year I knew if I worked at it I could recreate "Fuzzy Peaches". I did it, so here it is:

4 peaches, peeled, cut in half with pit removed

1/2 c. flour, plus additional

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. milk

1 eggs

oil for frying

  Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Add milk and egg and whisk until smooth.

  Heat 4 inches of canola oil in a large frying pan to about 300 degrees. Coat peach halves in flour, then dip in batter (being sure to coat the peach entirely). Place the peaches, cut side down, in the hot oil and cook until golden brown on each side (about 2-3 minutes per side); drain on paper towels.

  To serve, spoon some cinnamon caramel onto a plate, top with a peach half (cut side down). Place one scoop each of vanilla ice cream and mango sorbet next to the peach. Drizzle raspberry sauce over everything.

Cinnamon Caramel-I used the caramel recipe from this recipe on Bonappetit.com.

Raspberry Sauce

1 pint raspberries

2 Tbsp. water

1/4 c. sugar

1 Tbsp. corn starch

  Place raspberries and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil and continue to boil, stirring occasionally 3-4 minutes. Remove pan from heat; pour berries into a blender and pulse until smooth (you may also press the fruit through a strainer if you prefer not to have seeds in your sauce). Return berries to the saucepan; bring back to a boil.

  In a small bowl, combine sugar and corn starch. Slowly whisk sugar mixture into the berries and cook, stirring constantly, until the cornstarch cooks out (about 3-4 minutes). If your sauce thickens too much, thin with a little hot water. Refrigerate sauce until ready to use.