Peach Melba

Choosing a dessert for this week was a difficult task. After eating many delicious peaches, though, the must-have main ingredient became clear. I chose to make Peach Melba, a recipe I've always heard about but never really knew what it was. Now I know what it is - pure deliciousness.

Ingredients:
3 cups water
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
8 peaches
3 cups raspberries
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
vanilla ice cream


Directions:
Put first 4 ingredients in wide pan and heat to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil and bubble it for 5 minutes, then turn heat to a fast simmer. Cut peaches in half and take the stones out. Poach peaches in sugar syrup for 2-3 minutes on each side. Put on plate, peel skins & let cool. (If making a day in advance, put in fridge in syrup. If day of, peaches in fridge and syrup in freezer for next time!)
Blend raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in food processor. Sieve to remove seeds. Put in fridge.


To serve:
2 peach halves, 2 scoops of ice cream, raspberry sauce on top

My notes:
This is a good dessert. It's delicious, easy and everything can be done ahead of time! I halved the recipe but next time I'd only do a quarter of the raspberry sauce. A little goes a long way, even if it is also wonderful on yogurt. I also used 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract rather than the vanilla pod. Next time I'd probably also quarter the syrup mixture and just do two poaching processes.