Semifreddo Amaretti With Fresh Peaches Recipes

ANDREA DA MERANO'S SEMIFREDDO DI AMARETTI WITH FRESH PEACHES

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks until they thicken. Add the amaretto cookie crumbs and continue beating 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl periodically, until the mixture becomes quite light in color and very thick. Stir in the liqueur.
• In a clean, dry bowl beat the egg whites until they foam. With the mixer at high speed continue beating, gradually adding 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar. Beat until the egg whites hold firm peaks, about 3 minutes longer.
• In a chilled bowl beat the cream until it holds soft peaks. Fold the egg whites and cream together.
• Fold one-quarter of the cream and egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until well blended. Gently fold in the remaining cream and egg white mixture.
• Spread the mixture in 12 individual 1/2-cup custard cups or 8 six-ounce custard cups or molds or a 6-cup loaf pan or mold; cover with plastic wrap and freeze several hours or overnight. The semifreddo will keep at least a week in the freezer.
• Shortly before serving, plunge the peaches into boiling water 15 seconds, rinse under cold water, peel, pit and cut them into thin slices. Toss with remaining 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice.
• Dip the mold or molds briefly into hot water and turn out onto individual chilled plates or a serving platter. Surround with peach slices. Sprinkle the semifreddo with crumbled amaretto cookies and serve.

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.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI PEACHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Combine crushed Amaretti cookies, chocolate, orange zest, honey & cinnamon in a bowl. Add the beaten egg white & mix to bind the mixture.
• Halve & pit the peaches & fill the cavities w/sml mounds of the chocolate mixture.
• Arrange the stuffed peaches in a lightly buttered, shallow ovenproof dish which will just hold the peaches comfortably.
• Mix the wine & sugar in a measuring cup & stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour the wine mixture around the peaches.
• Bake for 30-40 min till the peaches are tender when tested w/a skewer & the filling is golden. Serve immediately w/a little of the cooking juices spooned over the top & whipped cream in a separate bowl as an optional garnish.

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.

FRESH PEACHES WITH AMARETTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Stir together sugar and cornstarch in 1-quart stainless steel or nonstick saucepan (do not use aluminum because the sauce will discolor). With wire whisk, stir in soymilk and amaretto liqueur until well blended.
• Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until cold.
• Divide peaches among 4 individual dessert dishes. Spoon amaretto sauce over peaches. Serve immediately.

AMARETTI-STUFFED PEACHES

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter and pour into a 13- by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Pulse 3/4 cup crumbled amaretti in a food processor until finely chopped, then add flour, sugar, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons 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 a small spoon to create a 1-inch-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 amaretti over filling. Bake until filling is puffed and crisp, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

AMARETTI PEACHES WITH HONEY & CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Halve and stone the peaches, then dig out a little flesh from the centre of each half, using a sharp-edged soup spoon. Put flesh and peaches to one side.
• Tip the amaretti, almonds and chocolate into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is like coarse gravel. Add the spooned-out peach flesh, egg and honey and whizz for just a second or two to combine - don't over-process.
• Spoon the stuffing into the peach halves, mounding it up a little. Arrange the peaches in a single layer in a heavy baking tin, then bake for 25-30 minutes or until the flesh is tender and the stuffing nicely browned. Serve hot, with a dollop of mascarpone or crème fraîche and a dusting of sifted cocoa powder.