ALMOND-CRISPED NECTARINES

Soft, warm, creamy, sweet-sour nectarines, topped with an almond-sweet crunch, accompanied by a dollop of sweetened Greek yogurt or Crème Fraîche to add some tartness, a dollop of whipped cream, or a spoonful of vanilla ice cream, if you like it sweet. I need nothing with mine. Easy and fast to put together, and handy if you have nectarines in need to be used up, but with an incredible WOW factor - the perfect summer pudding. 

Since having seen it on Smitten Kitchen a couple of years ago, this pudding has become one of our summer favourites. It just ticks so many boxes. It's sweet, juicy, crunchy, fresh and comforting. And so fast to make. One of those dishes that you can rustle up in the last minute while waiting for your pasta water to boil; and once dinner is eaten, dessert is done. All you really need to do is, cut some nectarines in half, mix sugar, butter, almonds and spices, cover the nectarines with the topping, sprinkle with almonds and bake in the oven.

In her original recipe, Deb Perelman uses peaches. I prefer nectarines, but you can of course use either. Using the same principle, you could also use halved apples for an autumn/winter pudding, but then I would replace the almonds with hazelnuts. Also, in this case the baking time may vary, depending on the size and type of apple used. Nice with a little Calvados or Rum drizzled over for a more grown-up version. 

PS, If you like this, you must also try STONE-FRUIT GALETTE.

Recipe based on: Almond-crisped peaches, Smitten Kitchen

Serves 4(ish):

4 medium, ripe nectarines
50g Demerara sugar (you can also use granulated white)
50g ground almonds
40g unsalted butter, cubed
⅛ tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
sliced almonds to sprinkle over

1. Heat the oven to 175°C/155°C fan/350°F. 

2. Prepare the nectarines: Cut the nectarines in half and remove the stones. Place the halves cut side up into a baking dish. 

3. Prepare the filling: Mix the sugar, ground almonds, cinnamon and salt. Add the cubed cold butter, and, using a knife, cut through the mixture until the butter is equally distributed and the mass is crumbly and sticky, or almost a paste. 

4. Stuff the nectarines: Spoon the almond mixture into the center of each nectarine, then press it flat to cover the whole surface. Sprinkle some sliced almonds on top of each nectarine. 

5. Bake: Bake in the pre-heated oven for app. 30 minutes, depending on the size of the nectarines, or until the topping and almonds are golden brown and the nectarines are soft and can be easily pierced with a knife. 

6. Serve: Serve warm or at room temperature. Nice with sweetened Greek yogurt, Crème Fraîche, ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream.

Tip: The easiest way to remove the stone from the nectarine: cut the nectarine in half, then twist the two halves in opposite directions to remove one half from the stone. Remove the stone from the other half with the help of a spoon.