Berry Melba Recipes

PEACH MELBA TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake until slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
• Combine the flour, 1/3 cup of the toasted almonds, the granulated sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Turn out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk; wrap tightly and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 15 minutes. Unwrap the dough and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edge of the crust is slightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is golden brown all over, 15 to 20 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the glaze: Combine the diced peach, granulated sugar, lemon zest and juice, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the peach is soft and the glaze is thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the lemon zest; let the glaze cool.
• Make the filling: Mix the ricotta, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and nutmeg in a bowl with a mixer until smooth; spread evenly in the crust. Arrange the sliced peaches on top of the filling in concentric circles. Brush with all but about 1 tablespoon of the glaze. Gently toss the raspberries with the remaining glaze, then scatter on top of the tart along with the remaining toasted almonds. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

PEACH MELBA TRIFLE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, mix raspberries and cornstarch until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Strain seeds; cover and refrigerate., In a large bowl, mix yogurt and extract; fold in whipped topping. In a 4-qt. bowl, layer half each of the cake cubes, yogurt mixture and peaches. Repeat layers. Refrigerate, covered, at least 3 hours before serving. Serve with raspberry sauce.

PEACH MELBA SQUARES

Steps:

• Butter and line a traybake or small roasting tin, about 20 x 30cm. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Gently melt the butter in a large saucepan, cool for 5 mins, add the sugar, vanilla and eggs, then beat until smooth with a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour, almonds and ¼ tsp salt.
• Tip the mix into the tin, then lay the peach slices evenly on top - that way each square of cake will have a bite of fruit. Scatter the raspberries and almonds over, then bake for 1 hr-1 hr 10 mins, covering with foil after 40 mins. Test with a skewer: the middle should have just a tiny hint of squidginess, which will firm up once the cake cools. Cool in the tin for 20 mins, then lift out onto a cooling rack. Once cold, dredge with icing sugar, then cut into squares.

MELBA SAUCE

Steps:

• Thaw raspberries.
• Place in medium saucepan. Cover and gently simmer 15 minutes. Put through a fine strainer into a glass measuring cup, pressing gently to extract as much juice as possible. Discard seeds and pulp.
• Add water to juice, if necessary to make 2/3 cup. Return juice to clean pan. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer and stir until jelly melts, sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth.
• Pour into an airtight jar. Cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• **For a thicker sauce, either add more jelly or do not dilute juice from raspberries.
• **If sauce becomes too thick, add water, bring to a boil and stir until smooth.

RED BERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Cut the pound cake into 9 (3/4-inch) slices and spread each slice on 1 side with raspberry jam, using all the jam. Set aside.
• Place a layer of cake, jam side up, in the bottom of a 2 1/2-to 3-quart glass serving bowl, cutting the pieces to fit. Sprinkle with Framboise. Top with a layer of raspberries and strawberries and Cognac Cream. Repeat the layers of cake sprinkled with Framboise, raspberries, strawberries and Cognac Cream, ending with a third layer of cake jam side down and raspberries and strawberries.
• Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks. Decorate the trifle with whipped cream. The trifle can sit for a while at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes. Take them out of the pans, place them on a baking rack and allow them to cool completely. Wrap well, and store in the refrigerator.
• Heat the milk in a medium stainless-steel saucepan over medium heat and bring almost to a boil. Remove from the heat.
• Beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, sprinkle on the cornstarch. Beat on medium-low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture back into the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. (Pay attention because it will thicken and then quickly become scrambled eggs!)
• Immediately, pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the vanilla, Cognac, butter, and heavy cream. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold.

BUTTER BEAN PâTé WITH MELBA TOAST

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan, then gently cook the shallot and garlic for 5 mins until softened. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the butter beans, then mash together until roughly puréed. Stir in the soured cream, parsley and seasoning. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, place the slices of bread under a medium grill and gently toast on both sides until light golden. Cut off the crusts and, using a long, sharp knife, split the bread in half, through the centre. Place the bread, untoasted-side up, under a low grill until it curls into a crisp, golden shell. Serve with the butter bean pâté and a sprig of parsley.

PEACH MELBA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Line the base and sides of a 20cm loose-bottomed or springform tin with baking parchment - use smudges of butter to help the paper stay in place around the sides. Put the biscuits in a plastic food bag and crush to crumbs using a rolling pin, then mix thoroughly with the melted butter. Tip into the prepared tin and press down firmly to create an even base. Chill while you prepare the filling.
• Put the soft cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl, then beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Tip in the cream and continue beating until mixture is combined. Scatter over 100g of the raspberries and half of the peach chunks. Using a spatula, fold in with just a few folds - as you assemble the cheesecake they'll ripple through more.
• Spoon the cream mixture onto the biscuit base, working from the edges inwards. Smooth the top of the cheesecake down with the back of a dessertspoon or spatula. Leave to set in the fridge overnight.
• In a food processor, blitz 250g of the remaining raspberries, sieve, stir back in 1 tsp of the seeds, if you like, and sweeten to taste with icing sugar. Add enough water or canned peach juice to make it saucy and chill until serving.
• Bring the cheesecake to room temperature about 30 mins before serving. If using a loose-bottomed tin, unmould by placing on top of a can, then gradually pull down the sides of the tin. Slip the cheesecake onto a serving plate, removing the lining paper and base. Scatter the remaining raspberries and peach chunks over the cheesecake, dribble over some of the sauce and serve the rest alongside.

RASPBERRY MELBA SAUCE

Steps:

• Puree all the ingredients, then pass through a strainer to remove the seeds.

PROPER MELBA TOAST

Steps:

• Toast the bread slices on both sides, under the grill or use a bread toaster.
• Cut off the crusts, lay the slices flat on a cutting board, put your hand on top of it, and using a serrated knife slide through the bread to split it, or hold it in your hand and cut through it rotating the slice of bread.
• If you want, cut these thin slices into a triangle.
• Do these above steps while the bread is still warm otherwise the bread will crumble or break.
• Then you toast the untoasted sides under the grill until golden.
• The sides will curl up; keep your eye on them because this will go very quick.
• This can be made well in advance and kept in a tin.

BERRY MELBA

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine ice cream, orange juice concentrate and cinnamon. Cover and freeze for 2 to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine berries amd lemom juice in saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Combine sugar and cornstarch; stir into pan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Cool; over and refrigerate.
• To serve, spoon ice cream into bowl or parfait glass. Top with berry sauce.
• You can garnish with a couple mint leaves if desired.

RASPBERRY MELBA SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Puree all the ingredients, then pass through a strainer to remove the seeds. This recipe yields 2 cups. Nutritional Analysis Per 2-tablespoon Serving: 61 calories, 15g carbohydrates, no protein, no fat, no cholesterol.