Spice roasted fruits with honey & orange sauce

Ingredients

• 4  bay leaf fresh
• 2  cinnamon sticks 
• 1  vanilla pod 
• 4  star anise 
• 0.5 tsp pepper black freshly ground
• 3  orange juice 
• 4 tbsp clear honey 
• 3 tbsp g muscovado sugar light
• 6  nectarines fresh
• 6  figs fresh
• 25 g butter unsalted
• 6 servings amaretti cookies soft

Equipment

• oven
• knife
• baking pan

Directions

1. The day before: tear the bay leaves and break the cinnamon into two or three pieces to release the oils and perfumes. Split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife.
2. Mix with the star anise seeds and the pepper, orange zest and juice, honey and sugar to make a sauce. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
3. Half an hour before serving: Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C.
4. Cut the peaches or nectarines in half and remove the stones. Halve the figs.
5. Put the peaches or nectarines skin-side down in a large baking dish or a roasting tray with sides.
6. Pour the spicy sauce over the fruit and dot with the butter.Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, add the figs and baste the fruits with a large spoon.Roast for 15 minutes more, basting at least three times, until the fruits are tender.
7. Serve with crme frache and macaroons or amaretti biscuits to soak up all the lovely juices.