**Apricot stuffed with almond cream - a summer dessert that relies on three ingredients**

Ripe apricots, a bit of almond powder, a hot oven for twenty minutes. That's all - and it's delicious.

The spirit

Stuffed apricots (albicocche ripiene) belong to the long tradition of Italian desserts that rely on the quality of the fruit more than on technique. Like baked peaches, roasted figs, or flambéed plums, it's a recipe that simply accompanies what the orchard offers - a bit of warmth, a bit of crunch, almost no added sugar.

The idea came from the peasant kitchens of Emilia-Romagna and the Marches, where apricots ripen in June-July and give, for a few weeks, fragrant fruits that need to be consumed quickly. They were cut, stuffed, baked - and a dessert was ready for the evening table.

The recipe (for 4)

Ingredients:

• 12 apricots ripe but still firm
• 80 g of almond powder
• 40 g of crumbled amaretti (small Italian almond macaroons)
• 30 g of light brown cane sugar
• 1 tbsp of bitter cocoa
• 1 egg white
• A little butter for the dish
• 1 tbsp of brown sugar for sprinkling

The gesture:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Cut the apricots in half, remove the pits.
3. Mix the almond powder, crumbled amaretti, sugar, cocoa, and egg white. A soft paste is obtained.
4. Butter a baking dish. Place the apricot halves, cut side up. Fill each hollow with a small ball of stuffing.
5. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes - the filling should brown and the apricots release their juice.
6. Serve warm, optionally with a little thick fresh cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

What makes the difference

• The ripeness of the apricot: too firm, it remains acidic; too ripe, it collapses during cooking. Ideally, a fragrant apricot that yields slightly to the thumb.
• Do not overfill: the filling should accompany the apricot, not mask it. A small nut per apricot half is enough.
• Choose quality amaretti: those with the true aroma of bitter almond make all the difference. Avoid overly sweet industrial versions.

A rustic variant

If you are lucky enough to have real fresh almonds this season, you can crush 4 or 5 whole almonds and add them to the filling - they will bring an extra crunch and a livelier aroma than the powder alone.

Served with a glass of dessert wine (moscato d'Asti, light sauternes), it's a dessert that ends a summer dinner without heaviness.