Peach Cream

Preparation

Step 1: Prepare the peaches

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Lightly score a cross at the base of each peach, then plunge them into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Immediately refresh them in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Peel them easily, cut them in half, remove the pit, and dice the flesh. Drizzle with lemon juice to prevent oxidation.

Step 2: Make the peach purée

Blend the peach pieces with an immersion blender or regular blender until you get a smooth, homogeneous purée. Pass through a fine strainer to remove any fibers. You should get about 250 g of peach purée. Reserve 3 tablespoons of purée for the final decoration.

Step 3: Prepare the cream base

Soak the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the milk and half of the heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat without boiling. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale. Pour the warm milk over the egg mixture while whisking constantly.

Step 4: Cook the cream and add the gelatin

Return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The cream is ready when it coats the back of the spoon (about 3 to 4 minutes). Remove from heat, add the squeezed-out gelatin, and stir until completely dissolved. Then fold in the peach purée and vanilla extract. Whisk smooth for a perfect texture.

Step 5: Fold in the whipped cream and assemble

Whip the remaining cold heavy cream into stiff peaks using a whisk or electric mixer. When the peach cream has cooled (but not yet set), gently fold in the whipped cream using a spatula, lifting the mixture from the bottom. Divide the mixture among 4 glasses, filling them three-quarters full. Tap each glass lightly to smooth the surface.

Step 6: Refrigerate and serve

Place the glasses in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. The cream should be well-set and firm to the touch. Before serving, add a small spoonful of the reserved peach purée on top of each glass. Decorate with a few fresh peach dice and a mint leaf. Serve very cold to appreciate all the finesse of this fruity cream.