Baked Peach with Honey & Star Anise

Baked Peach with Honey & Star Anise

I have some leftover canned peach from making mille-feuille. So I use up the rest to make this simple dessert to join IHCC's Along the Spice Trail.

The original recipe is called apricots roasted with cardamom, honey, and orange. I substitute apricots with peach and cardamom with star anise. I still use honey and orange.

Ingredients:
(Serves 2)

5 canned peach halves, drained and rinsed
2 star anise
2 tablespoons runny honey
Juice from 1 orange
2 tablespoons molasses sugar (or dark muscovado sugar)
A handful of chopped toasted walnuts

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Arrange the peach halves in a baking tray in a single layer, cut sides up. Drizzle over the honey, pour the orange juice around the fruits, then sprinkle over the sugar. Toss the star anise into the tray.

3. Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve warm with chopped walnuts.

Before baking.

After baking.

I like the aroma of the star anise-infused peach halves. The crunch from the walnuts complements the softness of the peaches very well. The fragrance of honey complements the warmth of star anise. Such a heartwarming dessert!