Peaches and Cream with Vanilla Bean-Zinfandel Caramel Sauce
♪ Peaches and cream; I need it cuz you know that I’m a fiend ♫
Oh…am I the only one that listened to that song as a naive 13-year-old, thinking it was really only about peaches and cream? Cool.
Sooo peaches and cream. It’s one of the most quintessential desserts, and I’ve had it in various combinations (peaches with ice cream being the main way), but I had never had straight up peaches and cream until I made this…Is that weird?
In any event, I’m here to report that the classic pairing is phenomenal with sweet, perfectly ripe, Summer peaches, and only enhanced by this awesome caramel. (Plus, this is one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever posted. Though, not quite on the ridiculous “How is this even a recipe?” level of my Spiked Watermelon Milkshakes…)
This caramel has a funny story actually. See it was really supposed to be a hot fudge-Zinfandel chocolate sauce. I had asked Mikey to pick me up a bottle of red Zinfandel at the store on the way home from work to make my chocolate sauce…and he mistakenly bought white. As you may be aware, white Zinfandel is not actually “white,” but a rosy blush hue. Also, it’s very, um, polarizing? A lot of people feel very strongly one way or the other about it…mostly toward the negative end of the spectrum. It’s floral, cloyingly sweet, and, in my opinion, tastes a bit like a nice glass of your finest fruit punch.
No, a deep, rich, dark chocolate red wine sauce would not be happening.
I scrambled trying to come up with a new plan and alas, this caramel was born. It’s one of those happy accidents. It turned out so delicious that I’m pretty confident a chocolate sauce couldn’t have topped it. I love it’s pinky-red coloring, and those little specks of vanilla bean. Plus, it really could not pair more perfectly with Summer fruit. I loved it over the peaches, but it would be just as amazing over berries.
If you wanted to make this dessert a bit heartier, you could swap out the cream for ice cream. But, I think the simplicity of pourable cream works beautifully, here. It allows every flavor to shine, without one overpowering the other. I think it’s my new favorite dessert, actually!
P.s.—A little tip, the specks of vanilla bean tend to settle at the surface of the caramel, so give it a good stir before pouring. You can also refrigerate any leftovers, but the butter will rise to the top and solidify. A trip to the microwave and a quick stir is all that’s needed before using again!
PrintPeaches and Cream with Vanilla Bean-Zinfandel Caramel Sauce
Yield: 2 servings with leftover caramel
Ingredients:
for the caramel:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 cup white zinfandel
- 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 1 tbsp salted butter
to assemble:
- 1 large or 2 small peaches, sliced
- 1/4-1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (you could use half-and-half if you want dot make it a bit lighter)
Directions:
for the caramel:
- Sprinkle the sugar in an even layer in a heavy-bottom sauce pan (I like my enamel Dutch oven). Add in the water and stir over medium-high heat until the sugar is melted. Continue cooking, swirling the pan without stirring, and brushing down the sides with a pastry brush dipped in water, until the mixture is golden brown.
- Remove from heat and add in the Zinfandel. Return to low heat and stir until any sugar clumps have melted, and everything is combined. Stir in the vanilla bean seeds and the butter and serve warm.
to assemble:
- Divide the peach slices between the 2 bowls. Pour a few tablespoons of cream over each, and follow with a good drizzle of the caramel.
