Berry Melba Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°. Mix 2/3 cup sugar, the cornstarch and water in 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Stir in peaches until coated. Heat over medium heat 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until syrup thickens and peaches are tender.
• Meanwhile, mix flour, baking powder, salt and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl. Drizzle butter and half-and-half over flour mixture; stir just until combined. Place dough on floured surface. Press or roll into 10-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick (sprinkle flour over dough if necessary).
• Gently fold raspberries into peaches. Heat to boiling over high heat; remove from heat.
• Fold dough in half to make handling easier; place over fruit mixture and unfold, easing to fit (there may be some gaps around edge). Sprinkle top with 2 tablespoons sugar and the almonds. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until top is light golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, mix raspberries and cornstarch until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Strain seeds; cover and refrigerate., In a large bowl, mix yogurt and extract; fold in whipped topping. In a 4-qt. bowl, layer half each of the cake cubes, yogurt mixture and peaches. Repeat layers. Refrigerate, covered, at least 3 hours before serving. Serve with raspberry sauce.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine ice cream, orange juice concentrate and cinnamon. Cover and freeze for 2 to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine berries amd lemom juice in saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Combine sugar and cornstarch; stir into pan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Cool; over and refrigerate.
• To serve, spoon ice cream into bowl or parfait glass. Top with berry sauce.
• You can garnish with a couple mint leaves if desired.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan, then gently cook the shallot and garlic for 5 mins until softened. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the butter beans, then mash together until roughly puréed. Stir in the soured cream, parsley and seasoning. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, place the slices of bread under a medium grill and gently toast on both sides until light golden. Cut off the crusts and, using a long, sharp knife, split the bread in half, through the centre. Place the bread, untoasted-side up, under a low grill until it curls into a crisp, golden shell. Serve with the butter bean pâté and a sprig of parsley.

Steps:

• The night before you make your jam, layer the berries, peaches and sugar in a very large bowl. Cover and set aside at room temperature.
• The next morning, give everything a good stir and set aside again until you're ready to start cooking. Put a small saucer in the freezer.
• Tip the raspberries and peaches, scraping out all the juices and any undissolved sugar, into a preserving pan (or use a large, wide-based pan - the wider and more open the pan, the faster the jam will be ready without the fruit cooking to mush). Stir in the lemon juice and cook over a very low heat until any remaining sugar is dissolved.
• Bring the mixture to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and spoon a little of the hot jam onto the chilled saucer. Once cooled, push the jam with your finger - if it wrinkles a little, it has reached setting point. If it's still too runny to wrinkle, return the pan to the heat and boil in 2-min stages, removing the pan from the heat each time you repeat the saucer test, until ready.
• Skim off any scum, then stir in the butter, if using, to dissolve any remaining scum. Leave for 15 mins, then ladle into sterilised jars (see below). Will keep for up to 6 months in a cool, dark place.