Roasted Nectarines With Caramel Sauce And Hazelnut Praline Food

HAZELNUT MERINGUES WITH HAZELNUT PRALINE & CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 120C/100C fan/gas 1. For the meringues, whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice until soft peaks form. Add the caster sugar and continue whisking until stiff, add the icing sugar and ground nuts, then gently fold through until evenly combined. Line a baking tray with baking paper and pipe or spoon out rounds of meringue into 7cm discs. Bake for 1½-2 hrs until crisp outside but still soft in the centre. Leave to cool. You need 3 rounds per person. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container for about 1 week.
• To make the hazelnut praline, warm a small heavy-based pan over a medium heat and cook the caster sugar until it melts and turns a rich caramel colour. Carefully swirl the hazelnuts around the pan (be careful, the sugar is very hot) and allow them to caramelise and brown - about 2 mins. Pour the mixture out onto a tray lined with baking paper. Leave to cool.
• Make the chocolate sauce by heating together 75ml water, the caster sugar and cocoa powder until boiling. Pour over the chocolate and whisk well until smooth.
• To serve, whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Finely chop the cooled praline by hand or in a food processor. Stir most of it through the whipped cream, setting a little aside. Place a meringue disc on each plate and top with a little of the cream. Add another disc, more cream, followed by the final disc. Top with icing sugar, cocoa powder and some of the reserved chopped praline, then spoon around some chocolate sauce

ROASTED NECTARINES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE AND HAZELNUT PRALINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put 8 of the nectarine halves, cut sides down, in a glass baking dish just large enough to hold them in one layer and roast them in the oven for 20 minutes, or until they are softened. While the nectarines are roasting, chop the remaining 2 nectarines halves, in a non-stick skillet cook them over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until they are very soft, and in a blender or food processor purée them.
• In a heavy saucepan melt 3/4 cup of the sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork, and cook the syrup, swirling the pan occasionally, until it is a golden caramel. Working carefully and quickly, stir in the cream, the nectarine purée, and the lemon juice, stirring until the sauce is combined well. Keep the caramel sauce warm.
• Line an 8-inch cake pan with foil and in it spread the hazelnuts in one layer. In another heavy saucepan melt the remaining 1/2 cup sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork, and cook the syrup, swirling the pan occasionally, until it is a golden caramel. Working quickly, pour the hot caramel over the hazelnuts. Let the hazelnuts praline cool completely and chop it into small pieces.
• Put 2 roasted nectarine halves, cut sides up, in each of 4 compotes and top each serving with about 2 tablespoons of the caramel sauce and 1 tablespoon of the praline. Garnish each serving with some of the raspberries and some of the mint sprigs and serve the remaining caramel sauce and praline separately.
• To toast and skin the hazelnuts:
• Toast the hazelnuts in one layer in a baking pan in a reheated 350°F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are colored lightly and the skins blister. Wrap the nuts in a kitchen towel and let them steam for 1 minute. Rub the nuts in the towel to remove as much of the skins as possible and let them cool.

PECAN-PRALINE CHEESECAKE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• PREPARE THE CRUST::
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & wrap the outside of a 10-inch round springform pan with foil.
• In a medium bowl, toss the pecans with 1/2 teaspoon of the butter, 1/2 tablespoon of the granulated sugar, the brown sugar, the cream and salt.
• Spread the nuts on the prepared baking sheet and arrange them, right side up in a single layer.
• Bake for about 18 minutes, until the sugar is caramelized and the pecans are toasted; let cool.
• Transfer all but 12 of the pecans to a food processor.
• Add the graham crackers and pulse until finely ground.
• Add the remaining stick of melted butter and 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and pulse until the crumbs are moistened.
• Press the crumbs over the bottom of the pan and two-thirds of the way up the side of the prepared springform pan.
• PREPARE THE FILLING:.
• In a clean food processor, pulse the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, and pulse until incorporated.
• Scrape down the side of the bowl.
• Pulse in the vanilla and sour cream.
• Scrape the batter into the pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour, until the top of the cheesecake is lightly golden in spots and the center is slightly jiggly.
• Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool completely.
• Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
• Unwrap the cheesecake and discard the foil.
• Remove the ring and transfer the cake to a plate.
• Arrange the 12 reserved pecans on top.
• Using a warm, slightly moistened knife, cut the cake into wedges, wiping and rewetting the blade between slices.
• Transfer the slices to plates and pour some of the Caramel Sauce on top.
• Serve with the remaining Caramel Sauce.
• *The cheesecake can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
• PREPARE THE CARAMEL SAUCE:.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the butter with all three sugars and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Cook over moderately high heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the cream and boil for 2 minutes longer.
• Transfer the caramel sauce to a pitcher.
• Stir in the vanilla and salt and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.
• **The caramel can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
• Whisk to combine before serving.

HAZELNUT PRALINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Spread nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast them in the oven until they are fragrant, about 8 minutes. Transfer nuts to a clean kitchen towel, and rub nuts in towel vigorously between your hands to remove the brown skins. Lightly brush an 8-by-12-inch rimmed baking pan with the oil. Spread the peeled nuts in the pan.
• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, brushing down sides of pan with a damp pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals that may form, until mixture is amber, about 9 minutes; do not stir. (Pan may be swirled gently about halfway through to incorporate any uncooked sugar.) Pour directly over nuts to create a thin layer. Set aside to cool, at least 30 minutes.
• Place half the praline in the bowl of a food processor; process until the praline is very fine with no sharp pieces. Cut the remaining praline into small pieces for decoration.

ROASTED NECTARINES WITH MULLED WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C (fanforced 180C).
• Put the nectarines in ovenproof casserole dish so they fit snugly.
• Scatter with the sugar and dot with the butter. Add the wine, spices and orange zest.
• Cover dish with foil and roast nectarines for 30 minutes, until the fruit is soft.
• Cool nectarines in the syrup, (I refrigerated and served cold).
• These can be served on their own or with either yoghurt, ice-cream or custard.

CARAMELIZED NECTARINES

Steps:

• 1. Set a strainer over a bowl and cut the nectarines into the strainer, so their juice collects in the bowl.
• 2. Heat the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When it is hot but not smoking, add the nectarines and sauté them until they sizzle and their juices reduce and begin to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over them and sauté until the juices further thicken and the sugar caramelizes slightly, about 1 minute. You may want to increase the heat under the pan to medium-high. Add the lemon juice and sauté until the juices thicken, then add any nectarine juice that collected in the bowl, and shake the pan so that all is well blended. Let the nectarines cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the juices are very thick, which will take a minute or so. The total cooking time will be about 6 minutes.
• 3. Transfer the nectarines to 4 warmed dessert plates, or to a warmed serving dish, let sit for about 4 minutes so they are not blistering hot when served.