July’s arrival heralds the start of peach season. And while there’s nothing quite like a perfectly ripe, fresh peach straight from the fruit bowl (or, if you’re very lucky, the tree), a little heat, a touch of sweetness, and a smidgeon of spice can transform a handful of peaches into a simple but special pudding – or, in this case, breakfast. Just the thing for slow summer weekend mornings, this recipe can also be found on the menu at our Bath café, The Provenist. Makes enough for four people.

What you'll need

For the peaches

• 8 flat peaches, or 4 large ones 
• 150g sugar 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract  
• For the French toast:  
• 4 eggs 
• 50g brown sugar  
• 300ml oat milk  
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon  
• 2 tsp ground cardamon  
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg  
• 4 large slices of your chosen bread (we’ve used sourdough)  
• 50g vegetable oil or butter, for frying  
• For the coconut cream:  
• 1 x 450ml tin of coconut milk, chilled  
• 4 tsp icing sugar 

To serve

• Maple syrup 
• Fresh thyme leaves 

What to do

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. Halve the peaches and carefully remove the stones. Place the peaches in a baking dish and sprinkle with the sugar and vanilla. Bake for ten–fifteen minutes or until soft and beginning to caramelise.
2. For the French toast, mix together the eggs, sugar, oat milk and spices in a small bowl. Lay the slices of bread out in a tray and pour over the egg mixture, making sure each slice is well coated on both sides. Leave to soak for about ten minutes.
3. Add the oil or butter to a large frying pan, and fry the soaked bread slices on a medium heat for three–four minutes on each side until golden.
4. Now for the coconut cream. Separate the watery liquid in the tin of coconut milk from the creamy solids (you might want to keep the water – it’s a delicious addition to soups and smoothies). Chilling the coconut milk in the fridge helps with this.
5. Add the solids to a small bowl with the icing sugar and, using an electric whisk, whip until fluffy.
6. To assemble, top each piece of French toast with a couple of roasted peach halves, a dollop of whipped coconut cream, and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Scatter with fragrant thyme leaves and serve.

If you’re ever in Bath, we’d love to see you at The Provenist for brunch, lunch or afternoon tea. But if you’re further afield, we also regularly share our café recipes over on The Provenist’s Instagram.