Baked Peaches Filled with Cookie Crumbs

NOTE: Any kind of leftover plain cookies can be ground into a quick filling for halved peaches. Italian cooks use almond-flavored amaretti (almond macaroons), but we found that ground sugar cookies and oatmeal cookies also work well. A moderate oven temperature of 375 degrees is essential. Higher temperatures will cause the cookie filling to burn before the peaches are tender. At lower temperatures, the cookie filling will not brown adequately. Serves four. If desired, add ice cream or whipped cream.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Working over bowl to catch juices, halve and pit peaches. Use small spoon to scoop out some pulp from each half to enlarge cavity left by pit (see figure 24). Add pulp to bowl with peach juices.

2. Add ¹/₂ cup cookie crumbs, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla to bowl with peach pulp. Mix well to form wet paste. Mound filling into cavities in peaches and compact with fingers until smooth.

3. Grease large, shallow baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Arrange peach halves in dish. Cut remaining butter into 8 small pieces and dot each peach with 1 piece. Sprinkle remaining ¹/₄ cup cookie crumbs over fruit.

4. Bake until peaches are soft and filling begins to brown, about 40 minutes. Serve warm. (Peaches can be kept at room temperature for several hours and reheated just before serving.)