Amaretti cookies are a must for this recipe; there really isn’t any substitute for that crunchy almond flavor and texture. They’re becoming more and more popular and easier to find, especially in Italian specialty stores, and they last for a long time; so when you find them, stock up.

　　

Ingredients

6 servings

　　1/3 cup cold whipping cream

　　4 teaspoons unsalted butter

　　12 small amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons; about 1 1/2 ounces total)

　　3 ripe but firm peaches (about 5 ounces each), halved and pitted

　　3 teaspoons sugar

　　

Step 1

In a medium bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate the whipped cream until ready to use.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread 1 teaspoon of butter over the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the amaretti cookies until finely crumbled. Using a melon baller, scoop out the red flesh from the center of each peach. Arrange the peaches cut side up in the prepared dish. Fill the center of the peaches with the amaretti cookie crumbs. Dot each peach with 1/2 teaspoon of butter, then sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sugar over each. (The whipped cream and peaches can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Keep the whipped cream refrigerated. Cover and refrigerate the peaches.)

　　

Step 3

Bake the peaches until they are tender and the filling is crisp on top, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with the whipped cream.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.