In the Kitchen: Stuffed Peaches and Nectarines

This recipe featuring Bella Viva Orchards’ Dried Peaches and Nectarines crowned with chopped Pistachio Kernels makes a sweet and pretty treat. The taste of summer is in each bite!

Yields: 12 treats

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 11 minutes (10 minutes for fruit, 1 minute for syrup)
Total Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients:

6 Bella Viva Orchards Dried Peaches (any variety, see note)
6 Bella Viva Orchards Dried Nectarines (any variety, see note)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup white sugar
4 ounces mascarpone, room temperature
⅓ cup Bella Viva Orchards Pistachio Kernels

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, lemon juice and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add the Dried Peaches and Nectarines and reduce to a simmer. While simmering, gently moving fruit around to cook evenly, about 10 minutes until the fruit is very soft but not mushy. Remove pan from heat and cool to room temperature. While fruit is cooling, chop Pistachio Kernels. You want them to be somewhat fine. Set aside one tablespoon or so for final garnish and transfer remaining chopped Pistachios to a small bowl or saucer.

Remove cooled fruit from the liquid and set aside. Return liquid to a boil and cook about one minute until you have about 2 tablespoons of syrup. Remove pan from heat and cool to room temperature.

Place cooled fruit on chopping board, skin side down. Cut each piece in half so you have semi-circles. Scoop one generous teaspoon of mascarpone onto half of the Peaches pieces and top with matching Peach semi-circles. Repeat with Nectarines. Gently squeeze so cheese is visible around the edges.

Roll the rounded cheese-exposed edges in the chopped Pistachio kernels.

Arrange the fruits, flat edge down, alternating Peaches and Nectarines, on a serving platter. Drizzle with the syrup and scatter reserved chopped Pistachios on top.

Serve at room temperature with a fork, ‘cause these sweets are marvelously sticky, too!

Note: For contrast, we like using vividly-colored Bella Viva Orchards Yellow California Peaches and White California Nectarines.