Peach Amaretti Mess Recipes

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide semifreddo off bottom), then lock on side and oil pan.
• Stir together ground amaretti and melted butter in a bowl until combined well, then press evenly over bottom and up side of springform pan. Bake until crust is firm and a shade darker, about 10 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, 20 to 30 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Make praline:
• Spread nuts in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring once or twice, until fragrant and golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer nuts to a bowl. Lightly oil same baking pan.
• Cook sugar in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is a dark amber.
• Immediately stir in nuts, then pour mixture into oiled baking pan and let stand to harden and cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Break praline into pieces, then pulse in cleaned food processor until finely chopped.
• Make semifreddo:
• Pit and coarsely chop peaches, with skins if desired, then purée in cleaned food processor with crushed vitaminutes C, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Force thourough a medium-mesh sieve set over a large metal bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids.
• Stir in egg yolks, then place bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and beat with mixer until mixture is thick and pale and registers 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, then beat 3 minutes more (do not let boil).
• Remove bowl from saucepan and set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water. Add almond extract and beat until cold, about 6 minutes.
• Beat cream with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in another bowl using cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks.
• Fold one third of cream into peach mixture, then fold in praline and remaining cream gently but thoroughly. Pour mixture into cooled crust and freeze, covered with plastic wrap, until firm, at least 3 hours. Let stand in refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
• Make peach topping while semifreddo stands in refrigerator:
• Cut an X in bottom of each peach, then blanch in a medium saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Peel peaches and cut into 1/2-inch wedges.
• Toss peaches with crushed vitaminutes C and sugar and let stand, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes.
• Spoon peaches over semifreddo with a slotted spoon just before serving.

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and lay a sheet of aluminum foil on the rack below to catch drippings. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• To make the filling:
• Mix the peach slices with the granulated sugar, flour, and vanilla or almond extract. Transfer the peaches to a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
• To make the topping:
• In a food processor, pulse together the flour, the brown and granulated sugars, amaretti, and cinnamon until the amaretti are in very small bits. Add the almonds and pulse until the nuts are in small pieces.
• Add the pieces of butter and pulse until the butter is finely broken up.Continue to pulse until the topping no longer looks sandy and is just beginning to hold together.
• Distribute the amaretti topping evenly over the peaches and bake the crisp for 40 to 50 minutes, until the edges are bubbling and a knife inserted into the center pierces the fruit easily.
• Serving:
• Serve warm with a cold pitcher of heavy cream or with vanilla ice cream.
• Variation:
• For a berry crisp, toss 6 to 8 cups mixed berries (quartered strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries) with 1/3 cup sugar, 2tablespoons flour, and a squirt of lemon juice. Cover with just enough topping to hide the fruit and freeze the rest.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• To make the filling, peel, pit, and cut the peaches into 1/2-inch (1.5-cm) slices. In a large bowl, toss the peaches with the 2 tablespoons (30 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and vanilla or almond extract. Transfer the peaches to a shallow 2-quart (2-liter) baking dish. Set aside.
• To make the topping, in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse together the 3/4 cup (110 g) flour, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, amaretti crumbs, cinnamon, and almonds until the almonds are in small bits but with chunks still visible. Add the chilled butter pieces and pulse until the topping no longer looks sandy and is just beginning to hold together.
• Distribute the topping evenly over the peaches. Bake until the filling is bubbling around the edges and a sharp paring knife inserted into the center of the cobbler meets no resistance, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature with Vanilla Ice Cream (page 143) or just a pour of fresh, cold cream.
• For a MIXED BERRY CRSIP, make the filling using 6 cups (1 3/4 pounds/795 g) mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and quartered strawberries) with 1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour, and 2 teaspoons kirsch or lemon juice.
• If using store-bought amaretti, which are usually tiny, you'll need a few more than indicated in the recipe to make the right amount of crumbs.
• Have a sheet of aluminum foil on the lower rack of the oven during baking to catch any overflow of fruit juices.