Peach Ripple Syllabub Recipe

First, make the biscuits (they can be left to cool while you make the syllabub). Preheat your oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5) and line two large baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the sugar, butter and lemon zest into a large mixing bowl and beat together until light and well combined – an electric hand whisk is ideal for this. Using an electric hand-whisk, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add the flour and almonds and beat again until the mixture forms a stiff dough. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into six equal pieces; divide each of the 12 pieces in two, so that you end up with 24 equally-sized pieces of dough. Using your hands, roll each piece into a ball and place 12 balls on each baking tray, leaving plenty of space around each one. Press each ball down gently with the flat of your hand. Bake the biscuits one baking sheet at a time in the centre of the hot oven; they’ll need about 12 minutes, or until you see that they have turned slightly golden. Let the baked biscuits cool on their baking sheet for a bit (they will firm up as they cool, so don’t try to lift them off their tray too soon after taking them out of the oven). When you can lift the biscuits without damaging them, transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely while you make the syllabub.

To make the syllabub, first reserve one of the peaches for garnishing, then peel and de-stone the other three and chop them roughly. Put the pieces into a food processor with the agave nectar or honey and the tablespoon of water, and blend to a smooth purée. Put the double cream into a mixing bowl and whisk it, until stiff peaks form when you lift out the whisk. Put the mascarpone into another large, clean bowl and fold in the whipped cream, then add the vanilla extract, sieve in the icing sugar and gently mix everything together until smooth and well combined. Spoon the peach puree on top of the mascarpone mixture, then stir it very gently through the mascarpone (use a small spoon or even a skewer) to create a rippled effect – be careful not to mix it in too much.
To serve, spoon the peach ripple carefully into sundae dishes or serving glasses, then stand each dish on a saucer and add a couple of the lemon and almond biscuits on the side. Take them to the table with the remaining biscuits for diners to help themselves.