Peaches with Meringue Topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the water in a large saucepan. Dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Poach the peaches in this syrup for 10 minutes, turning them over and coating with the syrup occasionally. Soften the butter and mix with the dates. Drain the peaches, transfer to a baking dish and fill the centers with the date mixture. FOR MERINGUE: Beat the eggwhites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar to form meringue. Spoon the mixture onto the peaches, making decorative peaks. Bake for 10 minutes until golden.