Minted Poached Peaches Food

MINTED POACHED PEACHES

Steps:

• Using a paring knife, lightly score an X into bottom of peaches (this will help with peeling later). In a large saucepan, combine sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, mint, and water. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
• Add peaches and enough water to cover. Bring to a bare simmer, and cook, turning occasionally, until peaches are easily pierced with a skewer, 6 to 10 minutes, depending on ripeness of peaches.
• Remove peaches with a slotted spoon; let cool slightly. Using a paring knife, peel peaches; return to syrup. Serve with mint sprigs.

VANILLA POACHED PEACHES WITH WHIPPED MINTED YOGURT

Steps:

• Make the peaches: Place the water, sugar, and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the vanilla bean and scrape the inside of the bean into the liquid. Add as many peaches to the pan as it will hold without piling or crowding, and poach over a low simmer for about 8 minutes or until the fruit is soft. Remove the peaches and finish poaching the remainder of the fruits. When done, place the peaches in a glass baking dish, cut side down. Pour the vanilla syrup over the peaches, and refrigerate until chilled, for up to 8 hours.
• For the yogurt: Place the water and sugar in a small saucepan, stir and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add the mint leaves and simmer for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Strain and chill the syrup.
• In a bowl, whip the syrup and cream with a hand-held mixer until stiff. In another bowl, whip the yogurt until smooth and fold it into the cream mixture.
• To serve the peaches: Place 2 peach halves in a shallow bowl, and dollop with some of the minted yogurt cream. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs and raspberries.

VANILLA POACHED PEACHES WITH WHIPPED MINTED YOGURT

Steps:

• Make the peaches: Place the water, sugar, and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the vanilla bean and scrape the inside of the bean into the liquid. Add as many peaches to the pan as it will hold without piling or crowding, and poach over a low simmer for about 8 minutes or until the fruit is soft. Remove the peaches and finish poaching the remainder of the fruits. When done, place the peaches in a glass baking dish, cut side down. Pour the vanilla syrup over the peaches, and refrigerate until chilled, for up to 8 hours.
• For the yogurt: Place the water and sugar in a small saucepan, stir and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add the mint leaves and simmer for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Strain and chill the syrup.
• In a bowl, whip the syrup and cream with a hand-held mixer until stiff. In another bowl, whip the yogurt until smooth and fold it into the cream mixture.
• To serve the peaches: Place 2 peach halves in a shallow bowl, and dollop with some of the minted yogurt cream. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs and raspberries.

POACHED PEACHES FOR PEACH FIZZ COOLER

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Add lemon juice and peaches. Simmer until peaches are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand until room temperature. Carefully remove skins from peaches, and discard. Transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate in poaching liquid until chilled.

POACHED PEACHES WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the water, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; add peaches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until peaches are tender. Remove peaches with a slotted spoon; cool to room temperature. Discard cooking liquid. Halve, pit and peel peaches; refrigerate until chilled., In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, chocolate chips and orange juice until blended. Pipe or spoon into peach halves. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon.

FROZEN PEACHES WITH STRAWBERRIES AND MINT

Steps:

• Sprinkle sugar evenly across bottom of a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven and place peaches, cut sides up, in a single layer on top. Scrape in vanilla seeds and add pod; scatter spearmint over. Pour in water to come halfway up sides of peaches. Bring to a very gentle simmer over low heat, stirring once or twice just to dissolve sugar. Cook peaches, turning once, until tender but not falling apart, 5-10 minutes. Let cool.
• Pluck out vanilla pod and spearmint from pot; discard. Stir in lemon juice. Remove skins from peaches (they should slip off easily). Transfer peaches, cut side down, to a 3-qt. shallow baking dish and pour poaching liquid over. Freeze until peaches are icy all the way through but still soft enough to cut with a spoon, 45-60 minutes (poaching liquid should be semifrozen and break into shards when scraped with a fork, just like granita).
• Scatter strawberries over peaches just before serving.
• Do Ahead
• Peaches can be poached 1 day ahead. Let cool in poaching liquid; cover and chill.

POACHED PEACHES IN MINT SYRUP

Steps:

• Combine water and sugar in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer and add peaches. Simmer 5 minutes.
• Remove peaches from syrup, and put peaches in a bowl.
• Stir the torn mint leaves into syrup and simmer 1 minute.
• Pour the hot syrup over the peaches.
• Cool and refrigerate several hours.
• To serve: place each peach in a small bowl, spoon syrup over and garnish with mint sprig.

VANILLA POACHED PEACHES

Steps:

• Put the kettle on, and fill a large bowl with iced water. Place the peaches in another large bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Leave for 30 secs, then remove the peaches with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the cold water. The skins should now peel away easily.
• Place the wine, honey and vanilla pod in a pan large enough to hold all the peaches, then gently heat until the honey has dissolved. Lower the peaches into the pan, cover and simmer gently for 15-20 mins until tender but not overly soft. Using two wooden spoons, turn the fruit 3 or 4 times while cooking and frequently baste with the syrup. Remove the cooked peaches from the pan and set to one side in a large bowl.
• Boil the syrup hard until it has reduced by half (this will take about 10 mins). Spoon over the peaches, then set aside to cool. The peaches will keep for up to 2 days, covered and in the fridge. Serve the peaches and syrup at room temperature, warm or chilled with spoonfuls of clotted cream, if you like.