Is Peach Melba The One

Peach Melba is an elegant dessert first made at London's Savoy Hotel by the great chef Auguste Escoffier in 1892 for the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba. It;s a lovely blend of a raspberry coulis with peaches and vanilla ice cream.

I decided to give it a try today in my search for the perfect holiday dessert. 

It starts with twelve ounces of raspberries. I used Driscoll's fresh ones but you could use the frozen ones instead.

Then there was the sugar factor. Most recipes call for a cup of refined granulated sugar. I didn't like this idea so I added a more natural source  - a quarter cup of lite maple syrup (you could also add honey too , especially the ones made from lavender or wild flowers).

I liked Stop & Shop's Lite maple syrup but again you can add any of your choosing. A quick squeeze of lemon is also needed.

I used about five tablespoons of water too. I first cooked it on the stove.

The gas went off and I then had to use the microwave which I was reluctant to use. There's this Internet rumor that raspberries spark when heated in one. I put mine in for two minutes and crossed my fingers that they would come out OK They did.

It was then blitzing them with my immersion blender. The coulis should have been strained through a muslin cloth but I like it with a thicker, seedier mouth feel.

The dish itself is just scoops of vanilla ice cream arranged with peaches (usually fresh but canned work during this time of year) The raspberry coulis is drizzled over it.

It's a very summery tasting dessert and ti does have a fun,fruity flavor. I may make this for the holiday. I did try the coulis with chocolate syrup and the soy vanilla ice cream a second time and that was phenomenal. Chocolate and raspberry work so well together. that that may be the Christmas dessert.

I stored the coulis in a jar kept chilled in the fridge. It can also be stirred in plain yogurts along in oatmeal. You can make a fruity, pulpy soda with it too.

Peach Melba may be the perfect Christmas dessert.It is an easy elegance that is also delicious. Try it for a tasty end to a holiday meal.

What To Make What To Bake

 Christmas is less than two weeks away and many home chefs and bakers have no clue as to whip up. Do you go with a roast or with a ham? Bake the traditional cookies or try your hand at a lush dessert? There are so  many options. Yet what is the right one?

This is my problem on two accounts. What I will make as the main course will be vegan . That's a given. Yet what will it be? My go to is the comforting and tasty Gardein's turkey cutlets. They're easy to make in the air fryer and the accompanying gravy packets can easily be cooked in the microwave. This last is easy to make. Just thaw out add some water and a bit of I can't Believe it's Not Butter and a pinch of onion powder. The sides are an easy stuffing mix usually from Acme. Then there's either Brussels sprouts or green beans. I could change it up, I've seen two recipes that could change my mind.I recently saw the great British chef Mary Berry make a venison Wellington on her Great Country House series. She turned venison into something special at Scone Castle. I looked up a vegan version and found I could make one with Beyond beef, spinach, and chopped mushrooms wrapped in already made puff pastry. Then there's a tofu ham loaf that I know I can make tasty with a root beer glaze. I prepped the Thanksgiving Tofurky as it was the real thing. I can do the same with a faux ham with a delicious tried and true recipe.

Then there's the question of dessert. Who doesn't love a home baked cookie at Christmas however they are work. Even the Pillsbury Slice and Bakes can be laborious. Yet there are some recipes I would love to try, like peanut blossoms or almond spritz cookies.  I did buy a gingerbread house kit at Five Below. This can be dismantled and eaten, hence taking care of the cookie and candy side of the holiday. Yet what to make for Christmas Day dessert? I thought maybe a spice cake with a chocolate ganache icing , a riff on Hackensack New Jersey's  great B & W's Bakery's spice cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Then I saw a PBS special on London's historic hotel  The Savoy and one of its illustrious chefs ,Auguste Escoffier. He was famed for creating amazing desserts , named for the prominent women of the late Victorian Era. One was for the Australian opera singer , Nellie Melba which was a marriage of  raspberry coulis over peaches and vanilla ice cream. That looked wonderful so I Googled the recipe. It's surprisingly easy to make. It would be a breeze to make after a labor intensive  fake meat dinner.. I can easily buy canned peaches and there are fresh raspberries in all the stores. 

I still don't what to make. I am leaning towards the tried and true Gardein turkey and peach Melba.  Or it may be something else? Or something new? There's still a lot of time to decide.