Raspberry & Peach Short Cake

Ingredients

Pastry
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1T baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. zest of orange
4 oz. butter cut into pieces, chilled
1 cup heavy cream
1egg, beaten
sugar to sprinkle on top

Topping
2 cup raspberries berries, washed
2 cups peaches peeled and sliced
3T granulated sugar
½ cup Amaretto Liquor
2 cups heavy cream
¼ cups Confectioner’s sugar
1tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.

2. Pastry: In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest mix, until combined.

3. With a pastry blender, a fork or your fingers work the butter into the dry ingredients until it is small pieces

4. Add the heavy cream and stir just until the mixture come together, don’t over mix.

5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface; roll dough out ½ inch thick. Cut with a 3-inch biscuit cutter and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.

6. Bake at 400° F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

7. Topping: In a small bowl, toss the berries and peaches with the sugar and Amaretto and allow to sit and hour.

8. In a mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.

9. Assemble: Spilt the short cake biscuits in half, place the bottom on plate or platter, top with boozy fruit, whipped cream and then the top with biscuit top.

10. Serve and enjoy!

TIPS & TRICKS

• Shortcake is best made the day you will eat it.

• I like to stir in the heavy cream with a spoon, but finish incorporating it with hands which seems to work better for me.

• Rolling out the dough to a ½ inch thick will yield 10 cakes, then gather the remaining dough bits and shape into 2 additional cakes. If you wish thicker short cakes, just roll out the dough not as thin.

• I topped the short cakes, with Swedish pearl sugar, which doesn’t melt in the oven. It adds a nice crunch and looks pretty. You can purchase it at: www.kingarthurflour.com You can also top the cakes with turbinado, demerara, or even plain granulated sugar. It will give you a little sweetness to the top of the cake but will melt away and not add the pretty white crystal.

• The fruit is best tossed with the liqueur and sugar 1-2 hours before serving, any longer and the fruit will macerate into small pieces, which tastes good but isn’t really attractive, any left over fruit/sauce is great on yogurt or ice cream.

• Substitute any summer fruit for this recipe. Berries and stone fruit are wonderful.

• You can also use frozen fruit. Defrost on a baking sheet, this way the fruit keeps its shape.

• You can substitute different liqueurs too. Cointreau, Cassis, or rum are delicious.

Amaretto, Almonds & Pear Trifle

Ingredients

Custard:
2½ cups cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
6 egg yolks
3T cornstarch
½ cup sugar
pinch of salt
1T vanilla paste or extract
1T butter, cold

Trifle:
2 cups pears, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes (about 2-3 pears). Use Bartlett, Anjou, or Comic
1 cup frozen raspberries, defrosted
1 cup sliced almonds toasted
½ cup toasted, shredded coconut
1pkg ladyfinger biscuits/cookie, (24 biscuits)
1 cup apricot jam
½ cup Amaretto liquor
1 cup heavy whipped cream
3T confectioner’s sugar
12 half pint jars with lids

1. Custard: In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat the milk, cream until hot, but not boiling.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, salt and vanilla. Whisk together until light in color and well blended. Add a cup of the hot milk to the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Now pour the warmed egg mixture into the hot milk, whisking constantly.

3. Return the pan to the stove and stir until mixture thickens, about 6-8 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and pass through a fine strainer. Stir in the butter and let cool completely. Place a piece of parchment or plastic wrap directly on top of the custard so that it doesn’t form a skin.

5. In a small bowl, combine the pears and raspberries. Mix until combined. Set aside.

6. In a small bowl, combine the toasted nuts and coconut. Mix until combined and set aside.

7. In a bowl with a whisk/beater, whip the heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks are formed. Set aside.

8. Place the ladyfinger biscuits on a baking sheet pan and spread each one with jam. Sprinkle the amaretto on top of the biscuits.

9. Break a biscuit in half and place the pieces, jam side up on the bottom of a jar, pushing them down.

10. Add a tablespoon of the custard, then a tablespoon of the pear-berry mixture.

11. Sprinkle some of the nut-coconut mixture on top.

12. Repeat with another layer of biscuit, custard, and fruit.

13. Top with the whipped cream. Decorate the top with nut-coconut mixture. Cover with lid. Repeat with the remaining jars.

14. Refrigerate 3 hours (or overnight is better) before serving.

15. To serve, tie a bow around each jar, place on dessert plate and serve.

Notes:

• Nuts: To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F. Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Shake the pan and continue baking until nuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes more. Let them cool. The roasted nuts can be store in an airtight container for weeks.

• Coconut: To toast coconut: preheat oven 350º F. Place coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until coconut is slightly brown (not all the coconut will become brown).

TIPS & TRICKS

• Trick to test if custard is cooked enough: stir the custard with a wooden spoon. It should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, and when you draw a line with your finger, it holds. Custard can be made 2 days ahead.

• In the winter months, I like to use a combination of pears and frozen berries, or you can use just the frozen berries. In the summer months, I use fresh berries and stone fruits or a combination of both. This is just the best dessert for a crowd!

• Chopped walnuts, pecans, also work well too!

• You can use pound cake instead of ladyfinger biscuits.

• Change the jam to match your fruit. Strawberry and raspberry work as well.

• As you change the fruit and jams, you can change the liquor. Traditionally trifle is made with sherry, but you could also use Cointreau, cassis, or Bourbon.

• The trifle is traditionally served in a trifle bowl. I thought it would be fun and festive to have each guest have his or her own little dessert to resemble a present. You can also make the trifle in a large glass bowl. You might not need to break the biscuit into pieces if the container you are using is larger than the jars.

• The trifle cans be assemble 2 days ahead.

Peach Clafouti

Ingredients

1 tsp. butter room temperature

3-4 yellow or white peaches

3 large eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla extract or paste

2T Amaretto Liqueur

¼ cup heavy or whipping cream

½ cup milk

2T butter, melted

½ cup sliced almonds

Confectioner’s sugar

1. Heat oven to 350º F.

2. Using a paper towel, smear the butter all over the inside of a 4-6 cup baking dish.

3. Place enough water to cover the peaches in a saucepan. Then set on high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn off the heat.

4. Place the peaches in the water for 2-3 minutes; remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice. Toss the peaches around until slightly cooled.

5. Using a paring knife, peel the peaches. Remove the pit and cut into medium dice pieces so that you have about 4 cups of fruit. Place in the buttered dish.

6. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until lightly frothy and the sugar is dissolved.

7. Add the flour, vanilla, and Amaretto. Whisk until smooth.

8. Whisk in the milk, heavy cream, and melted butter.

9. Pour the batter on top of the fruit.

10. Sprinkle the almonds on top.

11. Bake until puffed and brown and skewer comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

12. Dust with confectioner’s sugar. Serve warm.

TIPS & TRICKS

• Depending on the size of your peaches, you might only need 3; but I always buy an extra one in case one is mealy or there is a surprise inside. Yellow peaches have the classic peach, slightly acidy tart taste, while the white ones are very floral and sweet. Both are delicious!

• As the seasons change you can use pears, berries, nectarines, plums, or cherries which are the classic fruit used in the clafouti.  I invite you to try them all.

• Use can also change up the liqueur to match the fruits. A little brandy pairs perfectly with the pears or plums, while Cointreau or Grand Marnier works lovely with the nectarines and berries.

• If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use ¾ cup of milk. I use whole milk.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Summer Fruit

Ingredients

Custard:
2 tsp. gelatin
3T water
2½ cups cream
½ cup milk
½ cup granulated sugar
1T vanilla paste, 1 vanilla bean split open, or 1T vanilla extract ,
2 cups fresh fruit: peaches, figs, or berries
3T granulated sugar
3T Cointreau or Amaretto liquor.

1.    Place eight ¾ cup ramekins on a tray. Set aside.

2.    In a small bowl, place the 3 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and let sit for 5 minutes until it becomes “jelled”.  Set aside.

3.    In a small saucepan, add the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Cook over low heat just until small bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, about 5-7 minutes. Do not boil. 

4.    Remove from the heat. Run a spatula around the edge of the jelled gelatin and stir in the gelatin. Mix until dissolved. Remove bean if using a whole bean.

5.    Pour the mixture into each ramekin.

6.    Place ramekins in the refrigerator. Chill 5 hours or overnight.

7.    Clean, peel and slice the fruit.

8.    Toss the fruit with the 3 tablespoons of sugar and liquor. Let sit at least 30 minutes to allow the juices to release.

9.    To serve, run a butter knife around the edge of the ramekins.

10.    Fill a shallow dish with hot water. Carefully place the bottom of the ramekin in the water, for 1-2 minutes to help loosen the custard from the dish.

11.    Unmold the ramekin on to a serving dish.

12.    Spoon the fruit on to the plate and serve.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    To get the most intense vanilla flavor, use the vanilla paste or the whole bean. The paste is an easy way to get the inside of the vanilla bean; all those flavorful black speaks with no work. 
•    To peel peaches: place a small saucepan full of water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and submerge the peach for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let slightly cool. The skin should just peel off effortlessly.
•    I pour the warm cream into a measuring cup for easy pouring into the ramekins.
•    Adding the sugar and liquor to the fruit allow the fruit to “marinate” and bring out its natural juices. The term is called macerating. You can change the liqueur as you change the fruits. Cointreau and Amaretto work well with most summer fruits. You could use Chambord liquor for berries, or a little pear brandy for pear. The longer it sits the more the fruit breaks down and gets “ juicy”. I like to let my fruit sit for this recipe no longer than a 1½ hours. If you don’t do alcohol, you can substitute fruit juice, like cranberry. 
•    You can make this dish all year long by just changing the fruit. For the spring and summer use apricots, berries, peaches, or figs. For fall and winter, use pears or persimmons.