Champagne Poached Peaches with Meringue

Last month, we went to Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA. 

There's just something about an open market.  Maybe it's the tidy, colorful rows of produce...

...or the super friendly shop owners offering free tidbits of their tasty food...

...or maybe it's just the fresh air and the fact that it usually means I'm on vacation that makes me HAVE to have things like these way overpriced peaches.  They are gorgeous though, aren't they? 

Everything looks much more appealing on vacation. I can imagine it being similar to getting sucked into paying waaaayyy too much for a timeshare in Las Vegas. The people are so fantastically nice and generous and the tickets to the shark aquarium surely make it totally worth taking out a mortgage. Not to mention the salesman buying you a bottle of champagne and personally driving you back to your hotel instead of sticking you on a bus empty handed.


Not that my husband, Brad and I are suckers and would ever fall for something like that.

Back to the point though...these peaches certainly were worth the $10 I dropped on them.  Most of them made it home to Montana despite the jostling they took.  The bruised ones worked perfectly for a fun 'sip while cooking' cocktail. 

Dice fruit into small pieces and place them in a champagne glass.  Add an ounce or so of peach schnapps and top with cheap champagne.  Sip while making the recipe below and serve them to your friends.  They'll love you forever!

To get the skins off the peaches.  Boil them for about 10 seconds first.  Once they cool a bit, the peel should come off easily just using your fingers.

Once peeled, slice the peaches in half around the pit and pull the halves apart.  You may notice a couple of my peach halves below look as though they're manhandled.  It's because they were.  Those fancy peaches did not want to give up.

Poach the peaches in champagne and top with meringue before baking.  These were absolutely worth the money and time I spent to get them home.  Anyone interested in a Vegas timeshare?  My, um, friend has one.

Champagne Poached Peaches with Meringue

3 whole peaches
1 1/2 cups champagne (cheap is fine)
1/4 cup peach schnapps (optional, though I think it makes a difference)
2 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
zest of 1/2 a lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.  One at a time, carefully place each peach into the boiling water for about 10 seconds, turning them so all sides of the peach are boiled.  Remove peaches to a plate to cool.  Discard the water.

The peels of the peaches should remove easily.  I find that simply rubbing them with my thumb will release the skin.  Once the peaches are peeled.  Cut them in half and carefully separate them to remove the pit.

Bring the champagne and peach schnapps to a simmer over medium low heat in a skillet.  Place the peaches in the skillet and spoon the liquid mixture over them for about 10 minutes.  Remove the peaches to an oven safe dish, round side down.

In a mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.  Gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat until the egg whites are smooth and glossy.  Fold in the lemon zest. 

Spoon the meringue onto the top of the peaches.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.