Caramelised nectarines and cherries

Can you hear anything?  A low rumble, maybe?  A gurgling noise?  Pipes clanking?

Nope? 

Well, me neither.  Because my new boiler is very, very quiet.

Yes, you read correctly.  New.  Boiler.  After five unhappy days and nights with no heat and no hot water, British Gas finally condemned the old boiler and the landlord no longer had any other option but to get a new one.  I was told that this could take up to a week (another week??  Good grief, imagine how much cava my neighbour and I could get through in another week of our soirees!).  But somehow my landlord managed to persuade a small local firm to come in yesterday morning and fit a new boiler, an electric immersion heater (should this ever happen again, God forbid), some thermostatic radiator valves and a new timer - all in a single day!  Granted, I had to spend four hours today trying to get every object and surface in my kitchen clean and free from the blanket of dust generated when they moved the boiler to an adjacent wall. 

But at least I can look forward to a HOT bubble bath, up to my earholes, in the comfort of my own home :)  God bless the boiler men. 

And to ensure that you, my lovely readers who enquired anxiously about the boiler situation every day this week, can share in my warm, fuzzy feelings, I'm going to share with you one of the simplest, quickest and most delicious desserts that I make.  I last made this a couple of months back when we still had summer fruits in the shops, so it's probably more appropriate right now for my Southern hemisphere readers.  But I should also point out that my mom used to make this all the time using tinned peach slices and glace cherries - so don't feel constrained by the seasons :)

CARAMELISED NECTARINES AND CHERRIES (serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 small nectarines
about 10 cherries 
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
brandy (optional)
vanilla ice cream to serve

Method:

Wash and cut each nectarine into 8-12 wedges.  Wash and halve each cherry, and remove the pit.  I would then macerate the fruit in a few tablespoons of brandy, but this is optional.

In a skillet or heavy pan, heat the butter and dark brown sugar over medium heat.  Allow the butter and sugar to melt and wait for the mixture to bubble and turn slightly brown before adding the fruit (be careful as the sugar will probably splatter!) and cinnamon. 

Stir to coat each piece of fruit with the caramel sauce and cook over medium heat until the fruit is warmed through.

Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream.

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Comments

[[eatingclub] vancouver]

Glad to hear your boiler's fixed -- back to civilization! ;)

[Kalyn]

Hot Water! Hoooooooooray!

[Manggy]

YAAAAY!
Hee, I don't like being constrained by the seasons too (not that there are any seasons here)... But I'd probably use canned cherries, not glace cherries :) I love quickly sauteed fruit-- instant gratification!

[Lien]

Yea!!! Congratulations finely warm again. And with a lovely dessert like that you must be in heaven!

[Meeta]

GREAATT! Congrats on teh new boiler! This is a great way to sit back and enjoy it. I love such simple yet flavorful ways to enjoy fruit!

[Hande]

Yey! I am so happy for you! It must be something in the air that affects landladies, because ours also just allowed us 1) to get a filter installed before our boiler, so we can have hot water (similar issues here! our problems were due to not gas but the limescale which had us remove stones! from our individual faucet filters everyday and block the boiler every week) and 2) to get new windows! in the whole house! unbelievable! we won't have waterfalls pouring in everytime it rains! I raise my glass of bubbly in honor of landladies who see the light.

[Ruth]

Well enjoy your bubble bath. I know I'll enjoy the nectarines and cherries. Of course, I'll be bookmarking this for June & July when the fruit is fresh around here.

[Darius T. Williams]

LOL - yes - God bless the boiler men

I love this - looks great!

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

[Bellini Valli]

You are amazing Jeanne...a post a day. I have something for you over at my blog...you truly are an inspiration:D

[Kit]

Hurray!!!! In one day - that is indeed a miracle!
I'm glad you're warm again as the dollop of ice-cream in the picture might have had you shivering otherwise.

This sounds great - just right for us now - I might try it this weekend.

[grace]

i'm glad you can now take a lovely, hot bath. even though your glorious fruits are stellar, there's not much better than a bubble bath. :)

[Michelle]

It's caca when the boiler breaks, isn't it? Glad to hear a new one is up and running now.

We have our own shitty situation at the moment, because bloody squirrels ate through the cables and all our downstairs lights are gone for good. Needs rewiring and that's expensive in these times. So guess who has been cooking by candlelight for more than 3 weeks now? Dis plein kak, ek sê jou.

[Zarah Maria]

WOHOOOO!!! New boiler!! :D

[Browniegirl]

Im so glad your boiler problems are no more. What a situation hey? Oooooooh and this gorgeous dessert is just in time for us here :o) Thank you! xxx

[courtney]

Amen! All is right with the worls now. I would have taken a hot bubble batch with a bottle of that Cava. I do love carmelised fruits.

[Angela]

Hooray for the new boiler! Are you still in new-boiler bliss?

This sort of hot caramel treatment sounds like just the right thing for livening up imported nectarines in winter, if some were to accidentally fall into your trolley at the supermarket ;)