Grilled Peaches w/ Honey Balsamic Glaze & homemade Crรจme Fraรฎche
Here’s our grilled peaches recipe with the homemade crème fraîche that so many of you have been waiting for! Our white peach tree produced tons of sweet fruit this year and eating them off the tree is by far, the BEST way to eat them.
Grilled Peaches Recipe
We made many dishes with these sweet gems (white peach gelato & bellini’s to name a few). With summer grilling at an all time high in the WORC household, grilling these peaches to perfect softness and topping them with some crème fraîche is, quite frankly, the SECOND best way to eat them. Grilled peaches just melt…in…your…mouth. We’re saying this slowly because there is just no other way to describe the amazing sensation of biting into the warm, dripping, slippery, sweet flesh of the peaches. The smoky undertones of the fruit from the grill and the very light honey/balsamic glaze actually heightens the sweet sensations. And add a dollop of some cool crème fraîche with a kiss of lime zest…it’s magical. If your product selection isn’t great for peaches, then nectarines are delicious too.
Crème fraîche can be difficult to find, but when you do, it tastes so good. Creme fraiche gives you new dimensions beyond sour cream with it’s silky texture and beautiful tang. We can find it in our select markets around here, of course the Frenchies have easy access to it, but what about the rest of the culinary hounds? You might be able to find it, and you might not. Never fear, our insatiable curiosity has lead us to the method for creating your own. All you have to do is culture some heavy cream with either sour cream or buttermilk. Leave it out in a warm place for a day or so (it’s ok, it is perfectly safe.) Then throw it in a fridge. That’s it. Don’t worry, we’ve put the specifics on the recipe page. Take the whole few minutes it take to make crème fraîche and enjoy. The buttermilk and the sour cream both give a slight difference in taste and texture to the final product. We found the sour cream to promote a smoother texture and a slightly sweeter taste. The buttermilk gave a nicer tang, and the texture was still exquisite. Make that which matches your fancy, or do like us and make both. It’s easy.
Enjoy,
diane and todd
This recipe was originally published in 2008 and re-published in 2020 with updated photos.
Grilled Peaches w/ Crème Fraîche Recipe
Glaze and creme fraiche can be made ahead of time. Re-whisk both before using. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Honey + additional 1 Tablespoon (15ml) for creme fraiche topping
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon (3ml) Vanilla Extract
- 4 firm but ripe Peaches or Nectarines , halved & pitted
- 1 cup (240ml) Creme Fraiche (homemade recipe in Note below)
- lemon/lime zest
Instructions
- Whisk 1/4 cup honey, vinegar, and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside.
- Heat grill on medium-high heat, if possible. Brush fruit generously with half of the glaze. Grill each side until heated through, about 4 minutes per side.
- Whisk together the creme fraiche and the additional 1 tablespoon of honey in bowl to blend. Set aside.
- Arrange 2 grilled fruit halves, cut side up, on each plate. Drizzle with remaining glaze. Spoon the creme fraiche mixture top of grilled fruit.Grate lemon/lime zest for a bright, aromatic citrus punch!
Notes
- 1 cup (240ml) Heavy Cream
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) Sour Cream or Buttermilk
- Combine heavy cream and sour cream (or buttermilk) and gently heat to approx. 100ºF. Keep it covered in a warm (yes, warm place, it is perfectly safe) until it has thickened, usually 24-36 hours. After the cream has thickened, place it in the refrigerator. It should keep for at least a couple weeks.
jealous jealous jealous. the only thing i can grow in my apartment is my azz, it is growing bigger and juicier by the minute.
i need new pants! T_T
I looooooooove peaches. The creme fraiche combo sounds wonderful, but then anything with peaches will be magical. You lucky peach tree owners, you.
the first pic is gorgeous. iโ screams summer. next time, when making creme fraiche, try adding a dash of saffron. spectacular.
I wish I could grow my own dessert. Looks amazing. I don’t believe I’ve thrown peaches on the grill yet. Though I looked at a grilled duck/peach combo recipe the other day that sounded amazing. I haven’t done my own CF yet but I’ve heard it’s rather simple. Will have to do…
I made something similar with my peaches not too long ago. Grilled peaches… mmmm!
Can’t wait to hear about your next party! You two are so much fun!
This makes me want to run out and buy a grill.
You have a white peach tree?! I’m so freakin jealous! You must be reading my mind because I was just going to look for a Creme Fraiche recipe. Those peaches look amazing.
You guys have been busy!! I love creme fraiche and the peaches look divine ๐
what I would give to have my very own peach tree in my very own backyard. what I would give to have my very own backyard big enough for a peach tree…
beautiful and simple. and we’ve been wanting to make creme fraiche too – i read about how easy it is. but we now have it in our grocery store for $3, so maybe when the mood strikes me?
I love grilled stone fruits (nectarines and plums, too), and how lucky you are to have a white peach tree! I usually splash them with a bit of good quality balsamic, and occasionally a bit of vanilla frozen yogurt.
Are you kidding me? This looks like heaven!
Gorgeous. I like to add grilled peaches to salads with cheese and also to cous cous with feta – yummy!
I can’t get over the fact that you have white peaches in your garden. Your garden is AMAZING!
Love this preparation. Simple and summery. And if the grill isn’t going (or for the grill-less) I’ll bet you could do a nice version of this in the oven too.
I’d post something about the delicious pears and apples growing on wild trees in our own yard, however … damn squirrels! Caught one running across the road last week with a whole pear hanging from its mouth. ๐ We’ll make the creme fraiche though!
pssst … the pic above “Crรจme fraรฎche, crรจme fraรฎche! They can be difficult to find, but when you do …” isn’t loading.
the idea of a soft grilled peach doused with breme fraiche has caused my saliva glands to go berserk. berserk, i tell you. ๐