Best Very Berry Melba Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• Combine raspberries, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, water, and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves and berries collapse, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
• Combine 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and split vanilla bean in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Place peach halves with cut sides up in the syrup and simmer until tender, 5 to 8 minutes per side, basting with the syrup occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the syrup. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 4 hours.
• Remove peach skins and serve each peach half on top of a scoop of ice cream in a bowl. Spoon the raspberry sauce over the top. Garnish with toasted, slivered almonds.

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.

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.

PEACH MELBA COBBLER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°. Mix 2/3 cup sugar, the cornstarch and water in 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Stir in peaches until coated. Heat over medium heat 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until syrup thickens and peaches are tender.
• Meanwhile, mix flour, baking powder, salt and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl. Drizzle butter and half-and-half over flour mixture; stir just until combined. Place dough on floured surface. Press or roll into 10-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick (sprinkle flour over dough if necessary).
• Gently fold raspberries into peaches. Heat to boiling over high heat; remove from heat.
• Fold dough in half to make handling easier; place over fruit mixture and unfold, easing to fit (there may be some gaps around edge). Sprinkle top with 2 tablespoons sugar and the almonds. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until top is light golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Reduce heat to low. Place peach halves cut side up in pan; cook for 5-8 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat. Cool peaches in syrup for 30 minutes. , Remove peaches with a slotted spoon and place cut side down in a shallow dish. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or until chilled., In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat raspberry jam for 20 seconds; stir until smooth. Place peach halves cut side up in dessert dishes. Top with ice cream; drizzle with jam.