Delia Smith Peaches Baked In Marsala

Delia Smith’s peaches baked in Marsala is halved peaches baked uncovered in sweet Marsala wine at 180°C (Gas 4) for 35–40 minutes. It serves 6 with a mascarpone and fromage frais cream on the side, at just 225 calories per portion.

The recipe comes from Delia’s Summer Collection (1993), and her headnote explains the mascarpone cream. She mixes mascarpone with equal fromage frais to lighten the texture. That balance is what makes this feel like summer rather than a winter pudding.

The 24-hour fridge rest isn’t optional. Delia says to refrigerate the peaches for a full day to allow the flavour to develop. The arrowroot-thickened Marsala syrup soaks into the fruit overnight, so you get peaches that taste like wine all the way through.

Delia Smith Peaches Baked In Marsala

Recipe by Pinch PerfectCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

225

kcal

Total time

50

minutes

Ripe peaches baked in Marsala wine with cinnamon and vanilla from Delia’s Summer Collection (1993). A make-ahead dessert that improves overnight in the fridge.

Ingredients

• For the peaches:

• 6 firm ripe peaches

• 10 fl oz (275ml) sweet Marsala wine

• 1½ oz (40g) caster sugar

• 1 inch (2.5cm) cinnamon stick

• 1 vanilla pod

• 1 rounded teaspoon arrowroot

• For the mascarpone cream:

• 4 rounded tablespoons mascarpone

• 4 rounded tablespoons 8 per cent fat fromage frais

• A few drops of pure vanilla extract

• 1 level dessertspoon caster sugar

• Equipment

• A shallow baking dish.

Directions

• Preheat: Set the oven to Gas 4, 180°C (350°F).
• Peel the peaches: Halve the peaches and remove their stones. Place the halves in a bowl, pour boiling water over them and, after 30 seconds, drain them and slip off their skins.
• Bake: Place the peach halves in the shallow baking dish. Mix the sugar and Marsala in a jug and pour it over the peaches. Add the cinnamon stick and vanilla pod to the dish, then place it on the centre shelf of the oven and bake without covering for 35–40 minutes.
• Thicken the syrup: Remove the peaches from the oven and drain off all the juices into a small saucepan. Mix the arrowroot with a little cold water and add it to the saucepan. Whisk over a gentle heat until slightly thickened, which will happen as soon as it reaches simmering point. Pour it back over the peaches and leave to cool.
• Chill: Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the flavour to develop fully.
• Make the cream: Beat all the mascarpone cream ingredients together thoroughly and pile into a pretty serving bowl to hand round separately.

FAQs

Why does Delia use arrowroot instead of cornflour?

Arrowroot thickens to a clear, glossy finish, while cornflour turns the liquid cloudy. For a fruit dessert where you want to see the amber colour of the Marsala syrup, that clarity matters. The syrup should look like stained glass pooling around the peach halves.

Arrowroot also thickens at a lower temperature than cornflour. It sets the moment the liquid hits simmering point, so you don’t need to boil it. That gentler heat preserves the wine flavour because alcohol and volatile aromatics start to cook off at higher temperatures.

What if I can’t find Marsala wine?

Sweet sherry (Pedro Ximénez or cream sherry) is the closest swap. It has the same caramel and dried-fruit character as Marsala, though it’s slightly sweeter. Use the same quantity and reduce the sugar by half a tablespoon.

Delia herself uses Marsala in several recipes across her books, including her pears in Marsala from the Winter Collection. Amaretto or vin santo work too, but they shift the flavour in a different direction. Avoid using a dry Marsala because it won’t produce enough syrup or sweetness to coat the peaches.

How do I know if my peaches are ripe enough?

Delia says “firm ripe peaches” which means they give slightly to pressure but don’t feel mushy. If they’re rock-hard, leave them in a paper bag at room temperature for 2–3 days. A ripe peach smells sweet at the stem end.

Underripe peaches won’t soften properly in 40 minutes because the cell walls are too rigid, and overripe ones collapse into mush. Buy them a few days ahead and let them ripen at room temperature. The fruit should be just soft enough to eat raw before it goes into the oven.

Can I make this with nectarines or other stone fruit?

Nectarines work perfectly because they’re just smooth-skinned peaches. Skip the boiling water step since there’s no fuzzy skin to remove. The baking time stays the same.

Plums work too, and Delia published a variation using plums poached in Marsala. Apricots need less time because they’re smaller, so check at 25 minutes. If you enjoy baked stone fruit, plum crumble takes a different approach with a buttery crumble topping rather than wine.

How far ahead can I make this?

Delia says 24 hours, but it keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge. The flavour actually deepens over time as the Marsala syrup continues to soak in. By day two the peaches are more intensely flavoured than at the 24-hour mark.

Make the mascarpone cream separately and store it covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Don’t combine cream and peaches ahead of time because the fruit acid breaks down the texture. Serve it in a separate bowl and let people spoon it on themselves.

What makes Delia’s version different from other baked peach recipes?

Most baked peach recipes stuff the cavity with amaretti biscuits, butter and sugar, then bake for 30 minutes. Delia skips the stuffing entirely and lets the Marsala do the work. The peaches sit in a pool of wine and bake uncovered, so the syrup reduces and concentrates around them.

The arrowroot step is her other signature move: it turns the baking juices into a glossy, pourable sauce that clings to the fruit. Without it you’d have thin, watery liquid. That thickened syrup is what makes the overnight chilling worthwhile, because it coats the peaches evenly as they cool.