Peach Praline Semifreddo With Amaretti Recipes

PEACH PRALINE SEMIFREDDO WITH AMARETTI

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.

AMARETTI STUFFED PEACHES

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter and pour into a 13 x 19 inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Pulse 3/4 cup crumbled amoretti in a food processor until finely chopped, then add flour, sugar, salt, and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. Blend until butter is incorporated, then add egg and blend until smooth.
• Scoop out just enough peach pulp from center of each peach half with a melon ball cutter or small spoon to create a 1" deep cavity. Arrange peaches, cut sides up, in baking dish, then brush skins with melted butter from dish. Divide amaretti mixture among cavities, then sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup crumbled amoretti over filling. Bake until filling is puffed and crisp, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp.
• Wisk mascarpone with a few tablespoons of milk until it reaches a consistency suitable to dollop on peaches. Spoon on 1 Tbsp. per peach.

PEACH CHAMPAGNE SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• In a stainless steel mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1/2 cup of the sugar and a pinch of the salt. Whisk in the champagne. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. (The pot should be sitting over, not in the water.) Whisk vigorously until thick, about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and place it in a bowl of ice water. Cool until room temperature, stirring occasionally. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the cooled champagne mixture.
• Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray. (I like to use a pan approximately 3 1/2 by 11 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches but a 9-inch square pan will work.) Line the pan with plastic wrap, making sure to press the plastic wrap into the corners of the pan. (The nonstick spray helps the plastic wrap stick to the pan. The plastic wrap makes the terrine easier to unmold.) Gently spread half of the champagne cream into the loaf pan. Place the pan in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Refrigerate the remaining champagne cream.
• Combine the water and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a small sauce pot. Bring the sugar and water to a boil over high heat and boil for 1 minute until the sugar is dissolved. Cool the mixture to at least room temperature. (It can be made several days in advance and refrigerated.)
• Peel and pit the 2 pounds of peaches. Puree them in a food processor. Strain the puree through a medium holed sieve. There should be 3 cups of peach puree. Stir 1/2 cup of the sugar syrup into the peach puree. Add the remaining pinch salt and the lemon juice. Taste the peach puree. If it is not sweet enough add a little more sugar syrup. (The amount of sugar necessary will depend on the natural sweetness of the peaches. Extra sugar syrup can be used to sweeten ice tea.) Freeze the peach puree in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions.
• When the peach puree is frozen, spread it evenly into the loaf pan over the frozen champagne cream. Let the puree become firm again in the freezer, then carefully spread the remaining champagne cream on top. Freeze the semifreddo for several hours until hard. It can be made several days in advance.
• Peel the remaining peaches. Cut them in half and remove the pits. Cut in 1/2 inch pieces. Taste the peaches. If they are not very sweet, stir in a little granulated sugar. Often peaches are naturally sweet enough and do not need additional sugar.
• To unmold, invert the loaf pan onto a cutting board. Run a wet hot towel over the pan. Remove the pan. Carefully peel off the plastic wrap.
• Slice the semifreddo and place on a plate. Serve with some of the fresh peaches.

PEACH AND PISTACHIO PRALINE SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Line baking sheet with foil; spray with nonstick spray. Combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan; stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil until syrup is deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add nuts; stir until coated. Immediately pour mixture out onto prepared sheet of foil and spread so that nuts are in single layer. Cool completely.
• Break off 1/4 of nut praline and coarsely chop, then transfer pieces to processor. Process until praline resembles fine powder; transfer to airtight container. Chop remaining praline into 1/4-inch pieces; transfer to another airtight container. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store both airtight containers at room temperature.
• Lightly spray 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2- inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line pan with double layer of plastic wrap, leaving 4-inch overhang on all sides. Whisk yolks, 5 tablespoons sugar, and peach liqueur in medium metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over large saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until yolk mixture is thick and resembles softly whipped cream and instant-read thermometer inserted into mixture registers 160°F, about 4 minutes. Remove bowl from over water and continue to whisk mixture until cool to touch, about 3 minutes.
• Puree quartered peaches in processor until smooth. Measure 1 cup peach puree; stir into yolk mixture (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Beat cream and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold cream mixture into yolk-peach mixture in 2 additions. Fold in ground praline just until incorporated. Transfer to prepared loaf pan; smooth top. Fold plastic overhang over semifreddo, then cover pan with foil; freeze overnight.
• Remove foil and unfold plastic wrap from top of semifreddo. Invert semifreddo onto baking sheet; lift off pan and remove plastic wrap. Press chopped praline onto sides of semifreddo, leaving top plain; cover loosely with plastic wrap or foil and freeze at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. Using 2 metal spatulas, transfer semifreddo to serving platter. Arrange sliced peaches in row down center atop semifreddo. Cut into 1-inch-thick slices.