Bonnie Stern - 'Friday Night Dinners' (pg 26)

Ingredients

• 6 peaches, ripe but firm
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 6 scoops vanilla ice cream
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled biscotti

Directions

1. Cut peaches in half and remove pits.

   2. In shallow saucepan, combine peaches, water, lemon juice and honey. Split vanilla bean and scrape out seeds. Add seeds and bean to saucepan. Water should just cover peaches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, or until peaches are tender. Remove peaches from syrup and slip off skins.

   3. Place syrup over medium-high heat and cook for about 5-10  minutes, watching carefully, until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups.

   4. To serve, place one or two peach halves in each serving bowl. Add a scoop of ice cream, can sprinkle with biscotti.

*peach syrup can also be used in drinks *can adapt this recipe to any season by using rhubard, plums, nectarines, pears or quince