Fresh Peach-Bourbon Sauce →

When autumn comes to the Happy Valley, the leaves change colors from greens to yellows, orange, red, and rust. This is the season when the air is chilly in the mornings and evenings, but the days are comfortably warm, and local orchards are full of red, yellow and green apples, and delightful, fresh peaches for snacking, pies, cakes, sauces, etc. etc. This Fresh Peach-Bourbon Sauce is one of my favorite fruit sauces to spoon over ice-cream or pound cake topped with a dollop of whipped cream or spoonful of vanilla ice cream. I hope you enjoy it.

Fresh Peach-Bourbon Sauce
Yield about 1 cup

Ingredients
·    4 medium size fresh peaches peeled, pitted, and chopped
·     ¼ cup of brown sugar
·     ¼ cup unsalted butter
·     1-2 tablespoons bourbon
·     2 tablespoons of peach nectar or water
·     1/2 teaspoon almond extract
·     Pinch of salt

Preparation
1.   In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium low heat; add the sugar and mix until the sugar dissolves.
2.   Add the water/nectar, bourbon, almond extract, and pinch of salt and simmer for a minute or two before adding the chopped peaches
3.   Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until the juices are syrupy and the peaches are tender.
4.   Remove from heat and allow to cool. Serve over ice cream or pound cake with a dollop of whipped cream or spoonful of vanilla ice cream.

Store in a tightly closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If desired, reheat in a sauce pan, stirring, over low heat.

Semolina Ricotta Cake →

Another classic Italian dish in the tradition of “cucina povera” is Migliaccio, or Semolina Ricotta Cake. Traditionally served around Carnevale (about 40 days before Easter), Migliaccio dates to Medieval times in Naples where it was made with millet bread (pane di miglio) and pork blood. Fast forward a few centuries and millet bread and pork blood have been replaced by easier-to-find (more compatible with the modern palate) semolina flour, eggs, milk, and ricotta cheese. Simple and easy to make, flavored with citrus and vanilla, the light texture of Migliaccio has been described as something between a traditional cake and a custard. You might even call this cake “Italian Cheesecake”. Whatever you call it, it is delicious! Although it is traditionally served in Italy during Carnevale celebrations, Migliaccio would also make an excellent alternative or side to the traditional pumpkin pie served at Thanksgiving dinner here in the United States. Whenever you choose to enjoy it, buon appetito!

Semolina Ricotta Cake (Migliaccio)
Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon Semolina flour

• 4 ¼ cups whole milk (alternatively use 2 1/4 cups water + 2 cups whole milk)

• 1 ¼ cup sugar

• 1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese

• 4 medium eggs

• 3 tablespoons butter (preferably unsalted)

• 1 orange peel-zest only, no white pith

• 1 lemon peel-zest only, no white pith

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons limoncello

• 1 pinch of fine salt 

PREPARATION
Preheat your oven to 355F. 

1. To prepare the Migliaccio, first cook the semolina. Combine milk (or milk and water), salt, and butter in a saucepan, then add the orange and lemon zests and heat, stirring occasionally to melt the butter. Bring to a boil, then remove the orange and lemon zests and pour in the semolina, stirring continuously with a whisk. Lower the heat and simmer for about 4-5 minutes, the time it takes for the mixture to thicken and it begins to separate from the walls of the pan. Transfer to a dish to cool. Once it cools for a few minutes, the semolina will have a slightly rubbery consistency.

2. Strain any extra liquid from the ricotta to make it soft and creamy.

3. Using an electric hand mixer on medium, combine the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk the ingredients together until the mixture is pale and smooth.

4. Gradually add the ricotta, vanilla extract, and limoncello followed by the semolina mixture, continuing to mix with the electric mixer. You should get an even mixture that’s well-blended without any lumps.

5. Butter a 9-inch springform or cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, then pour in the mixture and level the surface with a spatula. Bake in a conventional oven preheated to 355°F for about 60-65 minutes. The cake is done when only the center of the cake is a bit jiggly or springy when touched and the top lightly browned.

6. Before cutting and serving, allow it to cool in the pan. Once cooled, release it from the springform pan and dust the surface with powdered sugar or top with a fruit sauce to taste. 

Here’s the link for the Blueberry Sauce.
The Migliaccio can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. Not suitable for freezing.

https://www.giallozafferano.com/recipes/Migliaccio-semolina-and-ricotta-cake.html https://grancaffegambrinus.com/en/the-migliaccio-sweet-of-the-neapolitan-tradition/

Limoncello Almond Ricotta Cake →

I love all things lemon! Here’s a moist, delicious, lemony cake based on Migliaccio the Semolina Ricotta Cake typically served in Italian households to celebrate Easter and Carnevale. This is an excellent gluten-free alternative Ricotta Cake and one worth considering as an alternative to or alongside the traditional pumpkin pie often served on Thanksgiving here in the U.S. Whatever the celebration if you love lemon flavor as I do, you should give this recipe a try. Buon appetito!

LIMONCELLO & RICOTTA ALMOND CAKE
Yield: 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

• 1 1/3 cups sugar

• 1 cup full-fat ricotta

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• finely grated zest from 1 lemon washed (a fine Microplane is useful here)

• 3 eggs, room temperature, separated, whites and yokes reserved

• 3 tablespoons Limoncello (home made or store-bought)

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/3 cup sliced almonds

• Powdered sugar, for dusting 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 320 F degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until incorporated. Mix in the ricotta, vanilla, and lemon zest.

3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg yolks, one at a time, continuing to beat until very light and creamy. Add in the limoncello, almond flour, and baking powder and beat to combine.

4. In a separate clean chilled bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake mixture. (Don’t worry if white streaks remain – they will disappear once in the oven.)

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Smooth the top with a spatula or spoon. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until firm yet jiggly and slightly springy to the touch.

6. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan. (It will fall slightly.) Dust with powdered sugar and serve!

 Adapted from: https://eatalianrecipes.com/grandmas-limoncello-ricotta-almond-cake/

Baked Peaches with Almond Filling (Pesche con Amaretti) →

Peach and almond flavors mix perfectly to produce one of my favorite flavor profiles. Often made using crumbled Amaretti cookies, comprised of only five ingredients, this recipe by Italian Chef Deborah Dal Fovo goes the extra step to grind sliced almonds to make the filling for these delicious summer treats. Whether you use Freestone or Clingstone peaches, what is most important is that you use fresh ripe peaches. Our local orchard produces and picks peaches that ripen within two days, so we don’t worry about our peaches going from stone-hard to moldy and over-ripe before we can eat them. If you have access to a local farmers’ market or orchard, I strongly suggest you buy your peaches there. You won’t regret it! Enjoy!  

Baked Peaches with Amaretti Filling
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
·  3 ripe yet firm yellow Freestone peaches, without soft spots or blemishes (See *Note)
·  4 tablespoons/60g sugar
·  6 tablespoons (1-1/3 ounces/38grams) finely ground blanched, peeled almonds
·  2 tablespoons melted butter/28g, plus more to grease baking dish
·  Dry white wine, Dry Marsala, or Amaretto (I use Amaretto)
·  Soft whipped cream to garnish (optional with a teaspoon or two of Triple Sec or other orange liqueur) 

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Generously butter a 9-inch baking dish, preferably made of porcelain or glass.
1. Wash the peaches under cold, running water, and pat dry. Divide each peach in half lengthwise by using a sharp knife to cut along the natural crease of the fruit that runs from the stem dimple then continue around its circumference. Separate the peach halves by gently twisting them apart then remove and discard the pits.
2. Using a melon ball tool or teaspoon, hollow a round 1-inch cavity from the center of each peach half and scoop out the pulp, reserving it for the filling. Arrange the peach halves with cut sides up in the baking dish, placing them close together and leaning against one another so they don't tip during baking.
3. Pulse 1-1/3 ounces/38g blanched, peeled almonds with 1 tablespoon sugar in a food processor until very fine.
4. Chop the reserved peach pulp finely and place in a mixing bowl or small food processor. Add 4 tablespoons of the sugar, ground almonds, 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, and any peach juices that have accumulated on the cutting board, then mix well to combine.
5. Brush the surface of each peach lightly with Amaretto and remaining melted butter. Fill the hollow of each peach with about 1-tablespoon of the almond filling to form a neat mound about the size of a walnut in the center.
6. Place in the center of the hot oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the peaches are tender when tested with the point of a paring knife and amaretti filling is lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature, plain or garnished with a dollop of lightly sweetened soft whipped cream.

*Note: if you can’t find ripe Freestone peaches, ripe Clingstone peaches will work just as well albeit with a bit of work removing the pit.

Adapted from a recipe by Deborah Amore Dal Fovo
http://www.theartofitalianliving.com/baked-sunset-peaches-with-amaretti-filling-recipe/

Apple Crisp →

Loaded with apples, oats, nuts, and coconut, this homey dessert is full of sweet-tart, creamy-crunchy-chewy goodness and fragrant with warm spices. You receive extra points if you indulge yourself and guests and add a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of your favorite ice-cream on top. It’s also great for breakfast with a scoop of yogurt and your morning beverage of choice...think of it as baked apple oatmeal with nuts!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 8-10 medium cooking apples like Braeburn, Cortland, or Granny Smith apples

• ¼ cup walnuts or pecans

• ¼ cup slivered or chopped almonds

• ¼ cup flaked coconut

• 2 cups raw oats like Quaker Oats

• ½ cup brown sugar + 2 tablespoons

• ¾ cup flour

• ½ cup butter

• 2 teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon salt

• juice of half a lemon

• ½ cup apple juice or cider

*While preparing the Crisp and Apples, preheat the oven to 375.

For the Crisp:

Directions:

1. Melt the butter and mix well with the brown sugar.

2. Mix together the oats, flour, nuts, coconut.

3. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of salt

4. Add the butter-sugar sauce to the dry ingredients and mix well.

For the Apple filling:

Directions:

1. Peel and core the apples, slice the apples about a 1/4 inch thick, add to a large bowl, and coat with the lemon juice.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of nutmeg and mix well.

Assemble the Apple Crisp:

1. Spread the apple mixture in a 9 x12 inch Pyrex baking dish.

2. Cover with the oats and nuts mixture.

3. Pour ½ cup of cider or apple juice over the Apple Crisp and bake on the oven middle shelf for 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are tender when pierced with a fork.

*Note: serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, or whipped cream, or yogurt.

Caramelized Baked Apples with Almonds Dates and Bourbon →

I collected this recipe from Epicurious back in 1998. I modified it a bit to suit my taste and it remains my favorite baked apple recipe for special occasions. It takes a little more effort than a regular baked apple, but if you like baked apples, I think you’re going to love this recipe. The result is a truly special dessert of tender caramelized apple and a sweet chewy almond filling with hints of ginger and lemon zest. Substitute pecans or walnuts for the almonds if you choose and experiment with your baking apple of choice. I prefer a firm tangy apple to balance the rich sweetness of the filling. Experiment and make this recipe your own. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

CARAMELIZED BAKED APPLES WITH ALMONDS DATES AND BOURBON
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) plus 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1/4 cup bourbon

• 1/4 cup apple juice

• 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar (or ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of maple syrup)

• 2 large egg yolks

• 1 tablespoon whipping cream

• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted, finely chopped (pecans or walnuts would work as well)

• 6 pitted dates, chopped

• 4 large apples or 6 medium-size apples (like Gala, Roma, Cortland, Honey Crisp)

• Additional melted butter

• Bourbon whipped cream (add a tablespoon of bourbon to your already stiff whipped cream)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Mix 1/4 cup butter, bourbon, and juice in an oven-proof glass baking dish. Mix sugar, egg yolks, 1 tablespoon cream, ginger, flour, lemon peel, and 1 ½ tablespoons of butter in a small bowl until smooth. Mix in the toasted almonds and dates.

2. Cut off the top ½ inch of the apples and reserve. Insert and remove an apple corer, being careful not to penetrate the bottom of the apple. Using a melon ball scoop or small spoon, scoop out the loosened core of the apples. Be careful to leave the bottom intact or the filling will ooze out the bottom of the apple as it cooks.

3. Using a vegetable peeler, remove a 1-inch-wide strip of peel from around the top of the cavity. Pack the cavities with the almond mixture and mound an extra spoonful atop the apples. Arrange the apples in the prepared dish with butter, bourbon, and juice. Brush the exposed apple surfaces with the sauce in the dish. (Optional: place the reserved slices atop the mound of almond mixture like a hat on each apple to keep the top from browning too much; alternatively cover the apples lightly with foil if they brown too much before being done.)

4. Bake until a tester inserts easily into an apple, brushing occasionally with juices and covering loosely with foil if the filling is browning too quickly, about 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with bourbon whipped cream.

Adapted from: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/baked-apples-with-dates-almonds-and-rum-15549

Tarte Tatin →

Referred to by some as the “queen of apple desserts, Tarte Tatin epitomizes the difference between the more joyful (Brits might say “flamboyant”) French approach to cooking and the somewhat plainer (Puritan?) traditional British approach to cooking. The New England apple pie made by my mother is deliciously flavored with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a simple top and bottom pie crust. It is a reserved dessert whose aromas hint at the soft delicious apple filling sandwiched between the flaky crusts. The Tarte Tatin, on the other hand, revels in golden brown caramel-coated apples beckoning in full display laying on a bed of mille feuille (puff pastry) to the delight of all who behold it. You could say the two desserts are analogous to the differences between the traditional British Waltz and the French Cancan from the Belle Epoque. They’re both delicious, but in different ways; both to be savored depending on your mood.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• frozen puff pastry (I used Dufour Puff Pastry found at my local food co-op. See *Note below)

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into chunks (you can use salted butter if you don’t have unsalted)

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 5-6 peeled and cored Cortland or Gala apples cut in half (I prefer Cortland)

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

• 3 star anise (optional)

Special Equipment

• a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet or Tarte Tatin pan

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

1. Roll pastry sheet into a 10 1/2 inch square on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin. Brush off excess flour and cut out a 10-inch round with a sharp knife, using a plate as a guide. Transfer the round to a baking sheet and chill.

2. Add the butter and sugar to the pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is well mixed into the melted butter.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and arrange the apple halves (round side down) in tight concentric circles filling in any open spaces with any extra pieces of apple. Return the pan to the heat and cook the apples over moderately high heat, undisturbed, until juices are deep golden and bubbling, 20 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully place the chilled puff pastry over the apples, gently tucking the edges of the pastry down around the apples.

5. Bake the tart until the pastry is browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.

6. Remove the skillet from the oven and allow the tart to cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes.

7. Using a knife or spatula, loosen the edges of the pastry all around the pan and invert a platter with the lip over the skillet. Using potholders to hold skillet and plate tightly together, quickly invert the tart onto platter. Replace any apples that stick to the skillet. Brush any excess caramel from skillet over apples. Serve topped with crème fraîche or whipped cream.

Adapted from: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/tarte-tatin-104777

History of Tarte Tatin: @FelicityCloakehttps://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/oct/20/how-to-cook-perfect-tarte-tatin

*Note: recipe for mille feuille puff pastry: https://www.redpathsugar.com/recipe/classic-mille-feuille-cake