Dessert - by Scarlett

From soufflé to parfait, you'll find my personal selection of yummy dessert recipes here and more!! So for home-made goodness or sweet treats around Sydney, be sure to check here - oh, and bon appétit!! Scarlett :)

Fruit-based desserts - Dessert

Next Page (15-28)

Pesche Al Forno (Stuffed Baked Peaches)

December 31st 2008 06:01

Pesche Al Forno (Stuffed Baked Peaches)

About Amaretti cookies

Amaretti, pronounced “am-ah-REHT-tee”, is the Italian name for macaroons, which means little bitter things. Crisp and crunchy on the outside and soft inside, these small, domed shaped cookies originated in Venice Italy during the Renaissance period. Amaretti cookies are made from either ground almonds or almond paste, along with sugar and egg whites and can be flavoured with chocolate or liqueurs. Oftentimes, two baked cookies were served with a sweet dessert wine or liqueur, but they are also wonderful with a bowl of ice cream, sherbets, or mousses. Another favourite way to use these cookies is to finely ground them and then add them to desserts (such as trifles) for added texture and flavour.

About Dark Rum

Dark Rum, also known as black rum, classes as a grade darker than gold rum. It is generally aged longer, in heavily charred barrels. Dark rum has a much stronger flavour than either light or gold rum, and hints of spices can be detected, along with a strong molasses or caramel overtone. It is used to provide substance in rum drinks, as well as colour. In addition to uses in mixed drinks, dark rum is the type of rum most commonly used in cooking.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4

4 large ripe yellow peaches
20 amaretti cookies (macaroons), crushed
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup dark rum

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. Rinse the peaches under cold running water and dry with paper towels.

3. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits.

4. Use a teaspoon to make a hollow about the size of a golf ball in each peach half.

5. Place the peach flesh in a bowl and add three-quarters of the amaretti cookies and all but ¼ cup of sugar.

6. Mix well and use to fill the peaches.

7. Use the butter to grease a baking pan large enough to hold all the peach halves snugly in a single layer.

8. Arrange the peaches in the pan.

9. Drizzle with the rum and sprinkle with the remaining amaretti cookies and sugar.

10. Bake for about 30 minutes.

11. Serve hot or at room temperature.

**From “The Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking”, “JokofBaking.com” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**

Vote

Comments (1)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Scarlett - Category: Fruit-based desserts

Email this Post to a Friend

Icy Longan with Osmanthus Fragran

December 11th 2008 06:00

Icy Longan with Osmanthus Fragran

About longan

The longan is a tropical tree native to southern China. It is also found in Southeast Asia. It is also called guiyuan in Chinese, lengkeng in Indonesia, mata kucing (literally “cat’s eye”) in Malaysia, nhãn in Vietnamese (The Species: Euphoria longana Lamk named “long nhãn” in Vietnamese – literally “dragon’s eyes”, Mora in Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) and also “longan” in Tagalog.
The fruit is edible, and is often used in East Asian soups, snacks, desserts, and sweet-and-sour foods, either fresh or dried, sometimes canned with syrup in supermarkets. The seeds of fresh longan can be boiled and eaten, with a distinctive nutty flavour.
Dried longan (Chinese: pinyin; literally “round meat”) are often used in Chinese cuisine and Chinese sweet dessert soups. In Chinese food therapy and herbal medicine, it is believed to have an effect on relaxation. In contrast with the fresh fruit, which is juicy and white, the flesh of dried longans is dark brown to almost black. In Chinese medicine the longan, much like the lychee, is considered a “warm” fruit.

About jackfruit

The jackfruit is a species of tree of the mulberry family (Moraceae) native to parts of South and Southeast Asia. The fruit is named after William Jack (1795-1822), a botanist who worked for the East India Company in Bengal, Sumatra and Malaysia. It is well suited to tropical lowlands. Its fruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the world, seldom less than about 25cm/10in in diameter. Even a relatively thin tree, around 10cm / 4in diameter, can bear large fruit.
The fruits can reach 36 kg / 80 lb in weight and up to 90 cm / 36 in long and 50 cm / 20-in in diameter. The jackfruit is something of an acquired taste, but it is very popular in many parts of the world. The sweet yellow sheaths around the seeds are about 3-5 mm thick and have a taste similar to that of pineapple, but milder and less juicy.
Jackfruit is commonly used in south and Southeast Asian cuisines. It can be eaten unripe (young) or ripe, and cooked or uncooked. The seeds can also be eaten cooked or baked like beans; they taste similar to chestnuts. The leaves are sometimes used as a wrapping for steamed Idlis.
An unopened ripe fruit can have an unpleasant smell, like rotting onions. The light brown to black seeds with white innards are about 2-3 inches long. People often oil their hands with coconut oil, mustard oil or paraffin before preparing jackfruit, as the rest of the fruit is a loose white mass that bleeds a milky, sticky sap often used as glue.
Unripe (young) jackfruit can also be eaten whole. Young jackfruit has a mild flavour and distinctive texture. The cuisines of India, Bangladesh, sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam use cooked young jackfruit. In many cultures, jackfruit is boiled and used in curries as a food staple.

About osmanthus fragrans

Osmanthus fragrans (sweet osmanthus; Chinese: guìhuā; Japanese: kinmokuser; also known as Sweet Olive, Tea Olive and Fragrant Olive) is a species of Osmanthus native to Asia, from the Himalaya east through southern China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan) and to Taiwan and to southern Japan. Sweet osmanthus is also the ‘city flower’ of Hangzhou, China.
In Chinese, the plant is called xī or guìhuā, and its flowers, called guì huā (literally “cinnamon flower” or “cassia flower”) are used, infused with green or black tea leaves, to create a scented tea called guì huā chá.
Osmanthus jam is used as an ingredient in a type of gruel called cháatāng, which is made from sorghum or millet flour and sugar mixed with boiling water. This dish is typical of the northern city of Tianjin, although it may also be found in Beijing.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 plate

10-12 fresh longan flesh, cored
4 jackfruit, cut into strips

For the sauce

1 tablespoon osmanthus fragran
1 tablespoon osmanthus fragran wine
1 preserved plum flesh, chopped

1. To prepare the icy longan and jackfruit, chill the longan flesh and jackfruit strips until set. Set aside.

2. For the sauce. Place the osmanthus fragran and wine together into a bowl.

3. Add in the preserved plum, mix well. Set aside.

4. Shortly before serving, put the icy fruit flesh from the fridge, then transfer to a cold serving plate. Pour over the reserved sauce and serve.

**From “Fine Desserts with Less Sugar” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Scarlett - Category: Fruit-based desserts

Email this Post to a Friend