Monsoon is the season for peaches. Have �em with cream, make peach shakes, peach pies and peach tarts... some of the world�s greatest desserts are made with peach. Blend peaches with milk and create a heavenly milkshake. Eat ripe peaches with ice cream or whipped cream. But if you don�t want to make a dessert out of it you can relish the tangy-sweet taste of this rich, golden-coloured exotic fruit in its raw and pure form too.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp ground almonds
2-3 drops almond essence
1 tbsp caster sugar
150 ml double or whipping cream, stiffly whipped
4 large ripe peaches, skinned, halved and stoned
2 tbsps blanched almonds, toasted

For the sauce:
100 gm soft light brown sugar
25 gm butter
1 tbsp milk

Procedure:
Stir the ground almonds, almond essence and caster sugar into the whipped cream. Fill the peach cavities with almond cream, reserving a little for decoration. Sandwich the peach halves together and arrange on a serving dish.

To make the sauce, bring the brown sugar, butter and milk to the boil and simmer over low heat for exactly 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat with a wooden spoon for 1 minute until smooth.

Pour the sauce over the peaches in 'waves', so that it does not cover them completely.

When the sauce has cooled (about 3 minutes) spoon or pipe the remaining cream over and scatter over the toasted almonds.

Ingredients:
500 gm carton natural set yogurt or Greek yogurt
25 gm sunflower seeds
4 tbsps set honey
4 medium-sized ripe peaches, skinned, stoned and chopped

Procedure:
Combine all the ingredients together and divide between 4 individual glasses. Chill until required.

Ingredients:
2 poached peaches (canned or home-made)
50 gm fresh raspberries
3 scoops vanilla ice cream
100 ml milk, or to taste

To serve (optional):
1 tbsp fresh raspberries
whipped cream

Procedure:
For poaching fresh peaches, place them in a saucepan, add 1 tbsp of sugar per peach, and cover with water or white wine. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 6-10 minutes until tender. Cool, slip off the skins, then remove the stones and chill the fruit. Keep the syrup to sweeten the shake.

To make the shake, place the fruit, ice cream and milk in a blender or food processor and whizz until foaming. Add extra ice cream or milk, to taste. Serve, sprinkled with crushed almonds, raspberries or whipped cream.