Ingredients
1 cup superfine sugar
½ cup honey
1 vanilla bean
2 ½ cups water
2 ¼ pounds fresh stone fruits (such as peaches or apricots), peeled
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 ½ cup finely ground almonds
10 T unsalted butter, softened
2 whole egg yolks
1 whole egg
¼ cup slivered almonds
3 T. kirsch or other fruit liqueur
You will also need:
Large saucepan with cover Medium saucepan
Food processor
Large mixing bowl
Whisk
6 small gratin dishes, 4-4 ½ inches in diameter
Sugar sifter
Instructions
Combine 1 cup sugar, the honey, vanilla bean and the water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Place the whole fruits in a large saucepan. Pour the boiling syrup over the fruit, and bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for several hours, if you can spare the time.
When ready to make the gratins, drain the fruit, reserving the syrup.
Half or quarter any whole fruits and remove and discard the pits. Place 4 or 5 pieces of fruit into the bottom of each gratin dish, arranging them to just cover the bottoms of the dishes. Place the remaining fruit in a food processor with a little of the syrup and process to a thick puree. Set aside.
To make the topping, combine ½ cup of the powdered sugar, the almond powder, butter, egg yolks and whole egg in a mixing bowl and beat with a whisk until thoroughly blended. Divide the batter among the 6 gratin dishes, spreading it evenly over the top of the fruits. Sprinkle the top of the batter with slivered almonds. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup sugar over the top of the gratin dishes with a sugar sifter.
Forty-five minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Twenty minutes later, place the gratins into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned on top.
Just before serving, place the fruit puree in a small saucepan and warm over low heat. Add the liqueur and pour the sauce into a warmed sauce boat. Serve the gratins on dessert plates lined with paper doilies. Pass the fruit topping separately.