Baked peaches stuffed with amaretti (Pesche ripiene)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C; butter a small baking dish.

2. Wash the peaches, halve them and remove the stones; scoop out a little flesh from each half with a teaspoon to enlarge the hollow.

3. Finely chop the scooped-out flesh and mix it in a bowl with the finely crushed amaretti, cocoa powder, half the sugar and the egg yolk to make a firm filling.

4. Stand the peach halves cut side up in the dish, pile the filling into the hollows and top each one with a small piece of butter.

5. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes until the peaches are tender and the filling is crusty and fragrant.

6. Serve warm or cold, drizzled with the thick juices from the dish.

Tip: A Piedmontese summer dessert, best made with ripe but still firm freestone peaches; serve with a spoonful of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, and adults can drizzle a few drops of amaretto liqueur over the filling before baking.