Recipe: Gingersnap-stuffed baked peaches

Total time: 1 hour

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: This is a thoroughly American version of a classic Italian dessert. In the original, the stuffing is based on crushed amaretti. That’s good, but I like the spice of gingersnaps just as well.

4 peaches, peeled, cut in half and pitted

3 tablespoons butter, divided

4 ounces gingersnaps (about 16 small)

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon sugar, plus more

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. With a small, sharp knife or a melon baller, enlarge the cavity in each peach half where the pit was. Cut carefully, you don’t want to break through the peach. Use about 1 teaspoon of butter to grease a small baking dish and arrange the peach halves in it, cut-side up. Chop the extra peach parts and put them in a mixing bowl.

2. Put the gingersnaps in a plastic bag and crush them lightly with a rolling pin. You don’t want the crumbs to be too fine, they should be in small chunks. Add this to the chopped peaches. Add the egg yolks and sugar and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to make a moist paste.

3. Divide the filling equally among the peach halves, mounding it in the center and spreading it gently to cover as much of the cut side of the peach as possible. Dot each peach with about 1 teaspoon of butter and sprinkle it with a little sugar.

4. Bake until the tops are brown and crisp and the peaches are soft and fragrant, 45 to 50 minutes. Serve warm, with a little lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Each serving: 185 calories; 3 grams protein; 24 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 9 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 86 mg. cholesterol; 127 mg. sodium.