Summer Recipe: Brown Butter Peaches & Chantilly Cream

There are plenty of outstanding dessert recipes that make good use of bountiful summer peaches. Some are as simple as drizzling a few halves with olive oil and throwing them on the grill, while others, like a cobbler or freshly-churned ice cream, require just a smidge more effort. This easy recipe — a grownup take on a childhood classic — falls on the delightfully relaxed end of things. Sliced peaches are tossed in a toasted brown butter sauce and finished off with a crown of barely whipped cream. To me it feels like summer in a bowl.

Recipe: Brown Butter Peaches & Chantilly Cream

Like most other hungry Southerners, I have an arsenal of recipes I turn to once Georgia peach season cranks up. You can bet that I am drinking plenty of bellinis on the back patio and serving up plates of buttery shortcakes after a long weekend meal. And perhaps my friends are getting sick of the sweet & spicy chutney I gift them year after year after year? But after I've pulled out all of the (peach) stops, it really doesn't get much better than a juicy bite straight from the ripe, syrupy ambrosial fruit itself.

I will always remember how my father, on warm weekend mornings, would slowly relish his breakfast — a bowl of thinly sliced peaches puddled in chilled heavy cream. He would often toss his final bites into my otherwise blah instant oatmeal, a generous act that probably started my obsession with the otherworldly combination I still yearn for today.

This fresh take on my father's preparation kicks it up a few notches, making it the perfect dessert to serve on a lazy summer day. The peaches can be tossed in the brown butter sauce and then left at room temperature to cool, and the cream can be whisked quickly just before serving. Minimal effort and minimal heat make this the ideal hot weather treat — and for some, it might just create a perfect morning.

Recipe: Brown Butter Peaches & Chantilly Cream

Brown Butter Peaches & Chantilly Cream

Serves 4 to 6

For the peaches:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons light brown sugar, or to taste

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

1 pound (3 to 4 whole) ripe peaches, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices (See Recipe Notes)

For the chantilly cream:

1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

For the peaches, melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until toasty and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir until melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla and peaches. Allow to cool.

For the chantilly cream, whisk the heavy cream in a mixing bowl (or on the lowest setting in a stand mixer) for 30 seconds or so. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until soft peaks just begin to form. (I prefer it to be runny enough to drizzle.)

Divide the peaches into small bowls and top with a spoonful of cream.

Recipe Notes

If the peaches are not too soft, you can peel them with a serrated vegetable peeler. If they are too ripe to handle with a peeler, it's best to blanch them. Cut an 'x' on bottom of each peach. Cook in a large pot of boiling water for 15 to 30 seconds. Place in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Peel with your fingers or a pairing knife.

Summer Recipe: Brown Butter Peaches & Chantilly Cream