Recipe(tried): Peach Melba

Why not make Peach Melba?? It is light and delicious, and always a big hit. Peach Melba is vanilla ice cream, covered with a poached peach half, topped with an incredibly good raspberry sauce (Melba sauce), and sprinkled with almond macaroon crumbs. If I'm lazy, I crumble up Italian Amaretti as the topping, but they probably have flour in them, so that probably wouldn't work for you. Homemade macaroons without flour are really easy to make, and incredibly good on their own. If you don't have a good recipe for almond macaroons, and want one, let me know and I will post. When I make my own macaroons, I always put a plate of them on the table at the same time I serve the Peach Melba so that anyone who wants an extra macaroon can grab one. In addition to tasting great, Peach Melba is a visually attractive dessert. All of the components can be made ahead and assembled at the last minute, which makes it a very convenient dessert to serve.

PEACH MELBA
Melba Sauce:
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
2 cups fresh or 12 oz frozen defrosted raspberries
1/3 cup currant jelly
1 pint Vanilla ice cream (best quality)
6 Fresh peach halves (can substitute canned, but drain well)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup fine, dry macaroon crumbs (can substitute toasted almonds)
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped (optional)

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir in raspberries and jelly.
Bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat to low; continue to cook and stir 5 minutes until smooth and thickened. Press sauce through sieve; chill thoroughly.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Place peaches round side down in baking dish, sprinkled with brown sugar. Bake until peaches are soft and glazed (this will take about 12 minutes, depending on ripeness of peaches). NOTE: I have also cooked the peaches by poaching the peaches until tender in a syrup of 1 cup sugar, 2 cups water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, zest of one lemon, and 1 vanilla bean. If I poach the peaches, I remove the skin before serving. Cool before serving.
3. To assemble each Peach Melba, place a scoop of ice cream in the bottom of a clear sherbet or martini glass. Cover with a peach half. Top with Melba sauce and sprinkle with macaroon crumbs. If desired, garnish with whipped cream. Serves 6.

For those interested in history (or talking about the food you are eating!), Peach Melba was named after Dame Nellie Melba, a legendary soprano opera singer who was popular in the late 19th and early 20th century. (Nellie Melba is a pretty interesting character-at 27 she abandoned her child and family in Australia to go to Paris and study singing. She remained a star for many, many years, in part because of her fierce competitive nature.) Nellie Melba's real name was Helen Porter Mitchell, and she took Melba as her stage name because she originally came from near Melbourne, Australia. The famous French chef, Auguste Escoffier, created Melba Sauce especially for Dame Nellie Melba. In addition to Peach Melba, Melba Toast is also named after Nellie Melba.