Grilled Peaches With Vin Santo And Anise Biscotti Recipes

GRILLED WHITE CALIFORNIA PEACHES WITH ALMOND-MINT PESTO

Steps:

• Combine the almonds, mint and honey in a food processor and process until smooth.
• Preheat the grill for high heat direct grilling.
• Brush the cut side of the peaches with canola oil and grill until golden brown and caramelized, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip and continue grilling until just heated through, about 1 minute longer. Arrange the halves on a platter, cut-side up. Spoon some pesto into the pit hollows and then top with a little dollop of mascarpone. Garnish with torn mint leaves and serve immediately.

GRILLED PEACHES WITH AMARETTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat a grill with a single layer of charcoal. When the coals are hot, brush the grill with a little oil to make sure the peaches don't stick. Place the peaches, cut side down, on the grill and cook for a few minutes, until they're slightly charred.
• Place the peaches in an oven-proof dish, sprinkle each half with a little vanilla sugar. Combine the rum and amaretto and drizzle 1/2 of it on the peaches. Bake the peaches for about 10 minutes, until they're very tender. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold with crumbled amaretti cookies on top or with the cookies on the side. I like to serve them with a dollop of creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.
• Vanilla Sugar:
• Find a jar tall enough to hold 2 vanilla beans. Fill the bottle with sugar and cover tightly. Store on a pantry shelf. After about 3 months you will have a wonderful ingredient for cooking and baking. Keep adding vanilla beans and sugar to the jar and you will have it for years.

ANISE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Line a baking pan with foil; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, aniseed, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside., In a large bowl, cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Stir in almonds and reserved flour mixture. , Divide dough in half. Shape each into a 12-in. x 2-in. rectangle on the prepared baking pan. Smooth the surface of each rectangle; brush with milk and sprinkle with remaining sugar., Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 300°., Transfer rectangles with foil to a wire racks; cool for 15 minutes. Place rectangles on a cutting board; cut diagonally into 1/2-in. slices. Place slices, cut side down, on baking pans. , Bake 10-12 minutes longer. Turn oven off, leaving cookies in oven to cool with door ajar. Store cookies in airtight containers.

GRILLED PEACHES

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the white sugar, balsamic vinegar, and pepper. Simmer until liquid has reduced by one half. It should become slightly thicker. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
• Lightly oil the grill grate. Place peaches on the prepared grill, cut side down. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the flesh is caramelized. Turn peaches over. Brush the top sides with the balsamic glaze, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the peach halves to individual serving dishes, and drizzle with remaining glaze. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese.

ANISE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.
• In large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine brandy, anise extract and vanilla in a small bowl or measuring cup. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Alternately add dry ingredients and brandy mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir in the almonds and aniseed.
• Drop dough by spoonfuls onto prepared sheet, forming two 2 x 13-inch long strips on each sheet. Smooth dough into logs with moistened fingertips.
• Bake about30 to 35 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Place cookie sheets on racks and cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
• Cut cooled logs on the diagonal into 3/4-inch thick slices using a serrated knife. Place slices on cookie sheets.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, until dry and slightly brown. Remove to a rack and cool.

GRILLED PEACHES WITH VIN SANTO AND ANISE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Place sugar in small bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; stir to blend. (Reserve bean for another use.) Place mascarpone cheese in another small bowl; stir in 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar.
• Do Ahead: Vanilla sugar and mascarpone mixture can be made ahead. Store vanilla sugar airtight at room temperature up to 1 month. Cover and refrigerate mascarpone mixture up to 2 days.
• Prepare barbecue (medium heat) and preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly brush cut sides of peach halves with oil. Grill peach halves, cut side down, until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes. Place peach halves, cut side up, in 13x9-inch glass baking dish.
• Bring Vin Santo to boil in small saucepan. Spoon 1/2 cup Vin Santo over peaches, then sprinkle with 3 tablespoons vanilla sugar. Bake peaches until tender, about 15 minutes. Boil remaining 3/4 cup Vin Santo in pan until reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 4 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted.
• Transfer 1 peach half to each of 4 plates. Spoon dollop of mascarpone mixture alongside. Drizzle reduced Vin Santo over and serve warm or at room temperature with Anise Biscottiepi:recipelink.
• *Italian cream cheese; available at many supermarkets and Italian markets.

GRILLED PEACHES WITH AMARETTI

Steps:

• Heat grill . When hot, brush the grill with a little oil to make sure the peaches don't stick.
• Place the peaches, cut side down, on the grill and cook for a few minutes, until they're slightly charred.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the peaches in an oven-proof dish, sprinkle each half with a little vanilla sugar.
• Combine the rum and amaretto and drizzle 1/2 of it on the peaches.
• Bake the peaches for about 10 minutes, until they're very tender. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold with crumbled amaretti cookies on top or with the cookies on the side.
• Serve them with a dollop of creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.
• Vanilla Sugar:.
• Find a jar tall enough to hold 2 vanilla beans. Fill the bottle with sugar and cover tightly. Store on a pantry shelf. After about 3 months you will have a wonderful ingredient for cooking and baking. Keep adding vanilla beans and sugar to the jar and you will have it for years.

AUNT DUNETTE'S ITALIAN ANISE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Beat eggs, sugar, and oil. Mix in flour, baking powder, vanilla, and anise. Spread in greased metal ice cube trays or loaf pans. If using loaf pans, only fill 1/3 full. This recipe makes about 3 trays or pans worth.
• Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and cut in slices crosswise. Place slices on baking sheet and brown under broiler, then flip slices and brown on other side. Watch the cookies carefully, it is easy to burn them in this step. Normally the best idea is to broil with oven door open a crack and watch as they go.