peaches peaches peaches

This Sunday I had eight guests over for dessert after seeing a movie in the Toronto International Film Festival. I had three hours available to make dessert before heading to the movie; so I knew I had to make something simple. I had a large basket of peaches and decided that I would make use of them. Eighteen peaches later, I had made a trio of desserts.




a vanilla bean panna cotta on shortbread with a peach compote




slices of fresh peach on shortbread with an ice wine sabayon




a frozen peach and ginger parfait on shortbread with diced peaches and ground pepper



For the vanilla bean panna cotta recipe, check out my post on the panna cotta trials.

For a soft and delicate shortbread that you can easily cut through with a fork, try using a recipe with icing sugar, cornstarch and a high butter content. Usually, the softer the dough the softer the cookie will be once it’s baked.

Lastly, here is the recipe for the frozen peach and ginger parfait:

1 1/2 Tbsp ginger root, peeled and sliced
6 peaches, peeled, halved and pitted
3 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/4 cup 35% cream, whipped

1. Blanche the peeled and sliced ginger root in hot water for a minute. Transfer to a food processor and process for a minute. Then add the peeled and pitted peach halves and process it till pureed. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste. Place this mixture aside or in the fridge.
2. Whip your 35% cream to a stiff peak, but avoid turning your cream into butter. Place the whipped cream in a container and put it in the fridge until needed.
3. In a heatproof bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with the confectioners’ sugar; then, still beating, place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water to create a bain-marie. Keep beating the mixture; when the mixture is lukewarm, remove the bowl from the pan and go on beating until the mixture is cool. If you are lazy like me, I just use my KitchenAid bowl over the pot and then transfer the bowl back to the mixer so that it can do all the work.
4. Once the mixture is cool, fold in the peach and ginger puree. Once combined, fold in the whip cream. Pour the parfait mixture into a 6-cup mold, or into a pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Freeze for approximately 4-6 hours.

* I would also recommend serving the parfait with small pieces of diced candied ginger.

Technorati Tags: Baking, Dessert, Peaches

can you can? : nope

I have some understanding of the basic principles and techniques of canning but have never gotten into it. I missed the elusive 22nd Sugar High Friday event in August titled “Can you can”, an event on canning jams and preserves. It looked like fun and would have been a good excuse to practice canning…oh well! The jams and preserves that 52 food bloggers made look absolutely wonderful. Check them out at Nicky and Oliver's beautiful blog Delicious Days.





Although I don’t can, I eat. Here are a couple of preserves I purchased at Fauchon while I was in New York. The first is Strawberry with Rose Petals and the second Corsican Clementine Sweet Orange. You can see by the picture that I have been eating my way steadily through the Clementine. At US $11 per jar, these preserves can sure add up. I ended up spending US $36 on preserves. Yes, I know it sounds silly, but they are sooo good. I should probably practice canning, ‘cause if I keep buying preserves and jams at this cost I will go broke. They were amazing on the soft buttery brioche that I devoured in two minutes after taking the photo. Yum.

Technorati Tags: New York, Fauchon, SHF, Sugar High Fridays

italian plum torte

When I received an email that Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice and Lis of La Mia Cucina were putting together a blogging event, I knew that I had to participate. To show up to this glorious summer feast titled “La Fiesta al Fresco”, make anything you want as long as it features one fresh ingredient. This virtual feast seems like a wonderful way to celebrate the end of summer.

This weekend I found some lovely Italian plums at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.
Since plums are in season and at their peek, I decided to make a simple Italian plum torte. I hope you all enjoy. This recipe also goes out to my friends in Vancouver who are lucky enough to have a plum tree and have so many plums they are not sure what to do with them.




This recipe is from the December 2002 issue of Chocolatier Magazine.

Italian Plum Torte

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 large eggs
8-10 Italian plums, halved and pitted or 5 large red or black plums, cut in quarters and pitted
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat 350ºF. Butter and flour 8” springform pan; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together, baking powder and salt.
3. In a 5-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for one minute, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. Arrange plum quarters and halves on top. Combining remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Run a sharp knife, around edge of torte. Remove side of springform pan and serve torte warm or cool.
5. You can serve torte with heavy cream, vanilla ice cream or just on its own.

Technorati Tags: Baking, Dessert, La Fiesta al Fresco