Ringing in the changes with bottled peaches

Press, 12 June 1978, Page 12

Ringing in the changes with bottled peaches

FOOD AND RECIPES

By

Celia Timms

A request from a reader gave me the initiative to look out a variety of recI ipes using bottled peaches. I I respect this housewife I on two counts: first for continuing to bottle fruit in the old tradition and second for the consideration she shows her family in wanting to avoid the boredom of repeatedlyserving bottled peaches with cream, custard or ice cream.

PECHES COEUR CREME One of my favourite glamour desserts is Peches Coeur a la Creme, which I make with preserved fruit. It is virtually Peach Cheesecake without crust. The recipe makes enough for five or six servings. You will need:— 3 teaspoons gelatine | cup cream or evaporated milk 200 g cream cheese 1 cup cream 1 cup sugar

1 j-2 cups chopped drained preserved peaches Red and yellow food colouring Additional drained peach halves or slices lor decoration Mint sprigs Method: Soften gelatine in a little cold water. Heat evaporated milk and dissolve gelatine in this; leave to cool. ■ Beat cream cheese until smooth, light and fluffy, slowly add the cup of cream and continue to beat until very smooth; add sugar. Press the thoroughly drained peaches through a sieve or buzz in blender, add to cheese mixture mixing well then add the cooled gelatine. Add enough red and yellow food colouring to achieve a definite peach colour and pour into a lightly oiled mould and chill for several hours or overnight. Turn out and decorated with reserved peaches and mint sprigs. PEACH MOUSSE A similar type of creamy peach dessert, but less rich is the following Peach Mousse in which the addition of the pulp from 2 passionfruit, either fresh or frozen, is a great improvement to the flavour. All of this preparation can be done in a blender or pressed through a sieve or mouli. Serves six.

You will need:— 2 cartons dairy sour cream (450 g ■J cup sugar Pulp of 2 passionfruit (optional) Pint jar of stoned bottled peaches and juice or 425 g tin peaches 1 tablespoon gelatine 4 tablespoons hot water 1 cup fresh cream

Method: Combine sour cream, sugar, passionfruit pulp and peaches and peach juice in blender and buzz until a smooth puree is obtained. Dissolve gelatine in hot water and add, blending well. Pour into a bowl and fold in whipped cream. Chill until firm. PECHES A LA ROMAINE Peches a La Romaine makes a simple and delicious dessert in which the main ingredient is Sauce Sabayon, which should be prepared first. Make it some time when you’ have egg yolks left over after making a pavlova. Serves six. Sauce You will need: — 6 egg-yolks 2/3 cup sugar 1 cup white wine — Reisling, Marsala, or medium-sweet sherry 1 tablespoon rum Method: Beat egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy, blend with wine and cook in the top of a double saucepan starting over cold water and stirring continually until water boils and the mixture is thick and creamy, Add rum. Romaine You will need: — Bottled peaches as required Lemon juice to taste Method: To make the Rornaine slice sufficient bottled peaches and drain thoroughly; sprinkle with a little lemon juice, cover and chill well. When sauce is cool pour over the drained peaches and mix lightly with fork. Serve in chilled individual dishes. PEACH CRUNCH

Peach Crunch is a hot baked pudding to which I

add just a suggestion of coffee flavouring because I consider hot peaches to be lacking in flavour. Serves six.

You will need: — A large jar of bottled peaches, or large can sliced peaches, drained well 1 tablespoon cornflour j cup peach syrup (reserved) i teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 1 cup crushed cornflakes 1 generous tablespoon butter cut into pieces 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar Additional teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon instant coffee J cup chopped walnuts Method: Place drained and sliced peaches into a bowl. Combine cornflour, nutmeg and | teaspoon cinnamon, reserved syrup and fold through the fruit. Pour this mixture into an ovenproof dish. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.' Remove from oven. Combine cornflakes, brown sugar, cinnamon butter and coffee and sprinkle over fruit. Return to 350 oven and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.

PEACH ICE-CREAM PIE Peach Ice-cream Pie is a

special dessert which need: a baked pastry shell, prefer ably of biscuit pastry Makes an 8-9 inch pie. You will need:— 1 cooked pie shell 3 - 3J cups sliced bottled or canned peaches 1 packet lemon jelly crystals 1 small pack vanilla ice cream I cup cream. < Method: Drain -peaches and reserve syrup. Add water to the syrup to make up to one cup. Heat this to boiling, add jelly crystals and stir until thoroughly dissolved. Chop ice-cream and stir it together with | cup cold water into the warm jelly. Chill until congealed then fold in peaches. Spoon into pastry shell and chill until firm. Decorate with whipped cream and a few additional peach slices. PECHE MELBA The classic Peche Melba is made with bottled peach halves, ice-cream and a puree of fresh or frozen raspberries. To make it you merely drain thoroughly the required number of peach halves, place each in an individual dish, top with a serving of ice-cream pour over a little raspberry puree and cap with a blob of whipped cream. The peaches should be well chilled. If you have no fresh or frozen raspberries you can buzz bottled or' canned ones in a blender or press them through a sieve. As a last resort., raspberry jam reduced to a puree with a little water and thickened with arrowroot may be used. Chill before using this puree.