The classic peach melba is a dish of skinned peaches which you serve with vanilla ice-cream and raspberry sauce. It was created in the 1890s by the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier, who was then in charge of the kitchens at The Savoy in London. He made it and named it in honour of the Australian opera star, Dame Nellie Melba, whilst she was performing at Covent Garden.

Ingredents:

• 2 c heavy cream
• 1/2 c peach jam, or more as needed
• 1/3 c sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 medium peaches, halved, pitted and roughly chopped into 1/2- inch pieces
• 5 c fresh raspberries (way too much – think 8 inch square – maybe 2 baskets)
• 25  crisp, thin almond wafer cookies,  or 70  vanilla wafers or 20 sheets graham crackers (Look for flat, rectangular cookies, they fit.)
• Toasted almond slices, for garnish

Directions:

1. Add the cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
2. Whisk on medium to mediumhigh speed, 2 to 3 minutes, until the cream begins to thicken.
3. Add the jam, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract, to taste.
4. Continue to whisk on medium to medium-high speed for about 3 more minutes, until stiff peaks form.
5. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the peaches into the cream.
6. Use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread a layer of cream, about 1 1/2 cups, on the bottom of an 8-inch square pan.
7. Cover the cream with a layer of raspberries,
8. Then a layer of almond cookies, filling any gaps with broken cookies (breaking them yourself, if necessary). The pieces should touch; the goal is a solid layer of cookies.
9. Continue with additional layers of whipped cream, raspberries and cookies, ending with a layer of whipped cream.
10. Gently cover the pan with plastic wrap.
11. Refrigerate the cake for 6 to 8 hours, or preferably overnight. (or freeze for easier serving)
12. Peel off the plastic wrap.
13. Garnish the top of the cake with the toasted almonds.
14. Cut the cake into slices while in the pan and serve.

Serves: 12
Source:  The Washington Post From cookbook author Jessie Sheehan.

P.S. Be bold.  Sprinkle the cookie layer with Amaretto.

A dark and stormy cocktail is made with dark rum and ginger beer, garnished with a slice of lime. The drink’s flavors translate beautifully when refashioned as an icebox cake. Layers of crispy ginger snaps replace the beer and are alternated with two flavors of whipped cream — dark rum and lime. *

Ingredients:

3 c heavy cream
1/2 c granulated sugar
4 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tab dark rum
2 to 3 Tab finely grated lime zest, plus more for decorating
2 to 3 Tab fresh lime juice, or more as needed
gingersnaps, or other crisp ginger cookie

Directions:

1. Line a 9-by-5-by-2-inch loaf pan with a large sheet or two of plastic wrap so the wrap overhangs the pan on all sides.
2. Put the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
3. Whisk on medium to mediumhigh speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cream begins to thicken.
4. Add the sugar and vanilla,
5. Whisk about 3 more minutes, until stiff peaks form.
6. Transfer half of the cream to a small mixing bowl.
7. Add the rum to the cream still in the stand mixer bowl.
8. Whisk on medium-high speed about 30 seconds, or until combined.
9. By hand, gently whisk the lime juice and zest, to taste, into the remaining whipped cream.
10. Use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread a layer of rum cream, about 1 cup, on the bottom of the pan.
11. Cover as much of the cream as possible with a layer of gingersnaps, filling any gaps with broken snaps (breaking them yourself, if necessary). The pieces should touch; the goal is a solid layer of cookies.
12. Add a layer of the lime whipped cream, about 1 cup, and cover with another solid layer of snaps.
13. Continue layering, alternating flavors of whipped cream and cookies until you run out, ending with a layer of lime whipped cream that rises slightly above the edge of the pan.
14. Cover the cake with the overhang of plastic wrap.
15. Refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, or preferably overnight.
16. Invert the cake onto a serving platter.
17. Lift the pan off.
18. Peel away the plastic wrap.
19. Sprinkle the top of the cake with additional lime zest.
20. When ready to serve, slice the cake with a long serrated knife and garnish with additional lime zest grated on top.

Serves: 12

Source:  The Washington Post From cookbook author Jessie Sheehan.

*Washington Post/ Jessie Sheehan, we need to talk!  Did you make this?? Accordin g to the recipe?

Next time I  nake it . . . So many changes.

1. Pulvarize the cookies.  Cookies do not break in the right shape/size. Used one 12 oz store brand box.
2. Add 1 tsp ginger chips or chrystalize ginger to the lime juice.  Ginger beer tastes like GINGER.
3. Make it in a 11×7 pan – fewer layers, like only 3.
4. Speaking of the pan, did you really use plastic wrap?  Even freezing it for 1/2 hour, the plastic couldn’t be placed in the pan with any degree of correct size/shape.  I went with nonstick foil.
5. Divide the whipped cream 1/3 in smaller bowl, 2/3 in mixer bowl.
6. Next time I will layer 1/2 the rum cream, 1/4 cookie crumbs, all lime cream, 1/4 crumbs, rest of rum cream. 1/4 crumbs.  Save remaining crumbs for the top  you turn it over and unmold it. Because, of course, you did not save any zest and used the last lime for a Dark and Stormy.

P.S. Freezing would not hurt it and make it much easier to slice.