Peach Melba Cake A La Mode Food

PEACH MELBA CAKE

Steps:

• Place the the milk and vanilla in a pot over medium high heat. Heat until the milk is scalding hot, but not boiling.
• While the milk heats up, whisk together the eggs, 1/4 cup of the sugar (set aside the other 1/4 cup for the whipped cream) and the corn starch until smooth.
• Whisk the hot milk into the egg yolks, then return the mix to the heat. Cook the custard over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and just begins to boil. Remove from the heat and return to the bowl the eggs were in. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the custard. Discard the pod or rinse it and set in a bin of sugar to make vanilla sugar.
• Refrigerate the custard for at least 1 hour (must be completely cooled) before continuing with the recipe. To speed up cooling you can set the bowl of custard over a bowl of ice water.
• Toss the peaches with 2/3 cup of sugar. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
• When you're ready to assemble the cake drain the peaches. You should have about 1/2 cup of of juice. Combine the peach juice with 1 cup of water and the rum.
• To finish making the mousse, whip the cream with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Fold the whipped cream into the chilled custard base.
• Split each cake in half horizontally so you have a total of 4 layers. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with buttercream (or use a disposable bag with the tip cut).
• Set one layer of the cake, onto a cardboard cake round or a serving plate. Brush the layer generously with 1/4 of the peach syrup. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the layer to form a "dam" for the filling.
• Arrange 1/2 of the peach slices over the cake layer. Spread 1/3 of the vanilla mousse over the peaches, pressing so the mousse fills in the gaps between the peach slices.
• Place the second layer onto the cake. Brush with 1/3 of the remaining syrup and pipe a dam of buttercream. Arrange the raspberries over the cake layer. Spread 1/2 of the remaining vanilla mousse over the berries, pressing so the mousse fills in the gaps between the berries.
• Place the 3rd cake layer, brush with 1/2 the remaining syrup and pipe a dam. Arrange the remaining peach slices over the cake layer. Spread the rest of the vanilla mousse over the peaches, pressing so the mousse fills in the gaps between the peach slices.
• Top with the 4th layer and brush with the remaining syrup. At this point the cake is too soft to ice. Chill the cake for at least 1 hour to set the icing dam and to allow the cake to firm up.
• Ice the cake with a thin crumb coat of buttercream. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes to set the buttercream. Alternately, instead of smooth icing the cake you can do one swirly coating of icing at this point. This will give the cake a more casual look.
• Ice the cake with a final coating of buttercream. Use a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe a border around the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours to make sure the filling is completely set, preferably over night.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top of the cake with a few fresh raspberries and fresh peach slices.

PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• Put the water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla pod into a wide saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring the pan to the boil and let it bubble away for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to a fast simmer.
• Cut the peaches in half, and if the stones come out easily then remove them, if not then you can get them out later. Poach the peach halves in the sugar syrup for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Test the cut side with the sharp point of a knife to see if they are soft, and then remove them to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• When all the peaches are poached, peel off their skins and let them cool (then you can remove any remaining stones). If you are making them a day in advance then let the poaching syrup cool and then pour into a dish with the peaches. Otherwise just bag up the syrup and freeze it for the next time you poach peaches.
• To make the raspberry sauce, liquidize the raspberries, confectioners' sugar, and lemon juice in a blender or a food processor. Sieve to remove the pits and pour the puree into a jug.
• To assemble the Peach Melba, allow 2 peach halves per person and sit them on each plate alongside a scoop or 2 of ice cream. Spoon the raspberry sauce over each.

SUPER STUFFED BAKED APPLES A LA MODE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Sprinkle cored apples with lemon juice. Mix next 7 ingredients and over-stuff apples. Bake 20 minutes in a small oven safe dish. Transfer apples to small bowls with a spoon and top with ice cream and whipped cream.

PEACH MELBA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In medium mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, butter, egg, milk, and pudding mix. Mix until smooth, and pour into greased 9-inch springform baking pan. Place well-drained peaches, peach juice, macaroons and gingersnap crumbs over top of batter.
• In a small mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, egg, peach juice, and sugar, and pour over cake mixture. Top with gingersnap crumbs.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and center is done. When cool, spread raspberry jam over top.

APPLES, NO PIE, A LA MODE

Steps:

• Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the ginger and apples to warm butter, squeeze a little lemon juice over the pan and saute 4 to 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg to the apples and cook another 2 minutes. Spoon apples into dessert dishes and top with ice cream and whipped cream. Garnish whipped cream with a pinch more cinnamon or nutmeg.

PEACH MELBA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Line the base and sides of a 20cm loose-bottomed or springform tin with baking parchment - use smudges of butter to help the paper stay in place around the sides. Put the biscuits in a plastic food bag and crush to crumbs using a rolling pin, then mix thoroughly with the melted butter. Tip into the prepared tin and press down firmly to create an even base. Chill while you prepare the filling.
• Put the soft cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl, then beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Tip in the cream and continue beating until mixture is combined. Scatter over 100g of the raspberries and half of the peach chunks. Using a spatula, fold in with just a few folds - as you assemble the cheesecake they'll ripple through more.
• Spoon the cream mixture onto the biscuit base, working from the edges inwards. Smooth the top of the cheesecake down with the back of a dessertspoon or spatula. Leave to set in the fridge overnight.
• In a food processor, blitz 250g of the remaining raspberries, sieve, stir back in 1 tsp of the seeds, if you like, and sweeten to taste with icing sugar. Add enough water or canned peach juice to make it saucy and chill until serving.
• Bring the cheesecake to room temperature about 30 mins before serving. If using a loose-bottomed tin, unmould by placing on top of a can, then gradually pull down the sides of the tin. Slip the cheesecake onto a serving plate, removing the lining paper and base. Scatter the remaining raspberries and peach chunks over the cheesecake, dribble over some of the sauce and serve the rest alongside.

NOT-SO-CLASSIC PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• Make the raspberry sauce: Put 1 cup raspberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a blender and whiz to liquify. Pour through a fine-meshed strainer and into a medium bowl. Keep cool.
• Using a paring knife, peel and halve the peaches. Slice the halves into half-moon pieces about 3/8-inch thick. Transfer to a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons sugar and a few drops of lemon juice to taste. Toss to coat.
• To serve, arrange peach slices in the bottom of 6 dessert bowls. Top each serving with a scoop or 2 of vanilla ice cream. Splash raspberry sauce over each portion. Garnish with a few raspberries if you wish.

PEACH MELBA SQUARES

Steps:

• Butter and line a traybake or small roasting tin, about 20 x 30cm. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Gently melt the butter in a large saucepan, cool for 5 mins, add the sugar, vanilla and eggs, then beat until smooth with a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour, almonds and ¼ tsp salt.
• Tip the mix into the tin, then lay the peach slices evenly on top - that way each square of cake will have a bite of fruit. Scatter the raspberries and almonds over, then bake for 1 hr-1 hr 10 mins, covering with foil after 40 mins. Test with a skewer: the middle should have just a tiny hint of squidginess, which will firm up once the cake cools. Cool in the tin for 20 mins, then lift out onto a cooling rack. Once cold, dredge with icing sugar, then cut into squares.

FRESH PEACH MELBA COFFEE CAKE (BUCKLE)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Coat a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk flour, granulated sugar and salt. Cut in butter until mixture becomes crumbly. Remove 1 cup of the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the almonds and light brown sugar. Reserve for topping.
• Stir baking powder into the remaining flour mixture. In a small bowl, whisk milk, egg, and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture until batter forms.
• Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter the peaches and raspberries over the batter. Drop the remaining batter in tablespoons over the fruit and sprinkle with the reserved topping.
• Bake at 350°F for one hour, until golden-brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool slightly on wire rack. Run knife around the edge and remove side of pan.
• Gently heat preserves until just liquid enough to drizzle over buckle. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

PEACH MELBA CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with wax paper and butter the paper; dust the pans with flour.
• 2. Cream the 3/4 cup butter and sugars in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, lemon zest, and juice.
• 3. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; add to mixture in the bowl, alternating with buttermilk, to make batter.
• 4. Scrape batter into the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in their pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto the rack, peel off wax paper, and cool completely.
• 5. Shortly before serving, peel, pit, and slice the peaches. Toss with lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside for 15 minutes.
• 6. Whip the cream with the vanilla and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar until it holds soft peaks.
• 7. Place one cake on a serving platter; spread with half the cream, then half the peaches. Cover with second cake, spread with most of the remaining cream and top with remaining peaches. Top with a dollop of cream and, if desired, a mint sprig. Serve immediately, with the Raspberry Melba Sauce on the side or drizzled over the cake.