Glazed Sabayon with Local Peaches and Blueberries

Local eggs take the cake in this gluten-free dessert. This custard-topped baked fruit dish is a great flourless alternative to late summer fruit cobbler. Yolks from local eggs (readily available at local farmers markets) will cook up lighter and faster than the yolks from commercially-purchased eggs.

For the glaze:
6 local egg yolks
1 cup apple juice or cider
1/4 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Your favorite fresh fruit. I like peaches, blueberries and apples.

1. Combine the eggs, apple juice and sugar in a large stainless steel bowl.

2. Carefully place the bowl over a saucepan of hot (not boiling) water to make a double boiler of sorts.

3. Whisk the egg mixture constantly for 4-5 minutes or more to cook the sauce until it has thickened to the consistency of lightly whipped cream.

Note: You need to whisk it constantly, keeping your whisk touching the bottom of the bowl, or the eggs will scramble and the sauce will curdle.

4. Once the sauce starts to thicken, taste the sauce and make it less sweet by adding in a few drops of lemon juice; if you need to make it sweeter, add a bit more sugar.

5. When the sauce is thick and foamy and tripled in volume it becomes a sabayon!  Remove the bowl from on top of the saucepan and set it down into a larger bowl of ice water, so that the cooking will stop and the sauce will cool quickly. Be careful. At first the bottom of the stainless steel bowl will be hot!

6. Once the sabayon or egg sauce has cooled, whip the cream and fold the whipped cream into the chilled sabayon.

7. Arrange fresh sliced peaches, blueberries or sliced Granny Smith apples in an oven-to-table serving dish. Spoon the sauce over the fruit so that the fruit is completely covered,

8. Set the dish under the broiler, broil for a minute or two with the door open so that you can watch it, turning the dish as needed for even browning. Serve immediately.

Heidi Billotto is a Charlotte culinary expert. Find more at heidibillottofood.com.