Deanna, one of the good friends I made while in Italy, although born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, grew up in a full blown Italian household.  Seeing that both sets of her grandparents were from Italy, she grew up in a household where Italian food was on the menu almost every night, and most family conversations happened in Italian.

I was of course intently listening when she described a baked peach dessert that her Italian grandmother often made.  My version of this dish, Baked Peaches with Almond Cookies & Mascarpone Cheese, is similar to the original, but I have substituted store bought almond butter cookies for the Italian amaretti cookies she described, and mascarpone cheese for a scoop of vanilla gelato.  Whichever toppings you decide on, this summertime dessert is quick and easy—with a dollop of pure Italian tradition.

(To view this recipe click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Tagged: almond cookies, baked fruit, dessert, Italian, Italy, mascarpone cheese, peaches