I recently spoke at the American
Culinary Federation Central Region Conference about modernizing traditional
desserts. One of the desserts I demonstrated was my take on the classic
peach melba. Auguste Escoffier is credited for creating this
seasonal dessert many many years ago at the Savoy Hotel. When the fruits
are in season, fresh raspberries and peaches finished with vanilla ice cream is
simple yet wonderful. With all due respect to Escoffier, I wanted to
attempt a more intricate presentation. I also wanted to showcase an
assembled dish without the ever-popular deconstructed style that dominates
modern pastry.
Peach Challah:
200 grams peach puree
6 grams instant yeast
75 grams vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
485 grams all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer bloom
the yeast in the peach puree. Ensure it is working by smell and a gentle
foaming around the sides of the dish. Add the remaining ingredients in
order and mix, using a dough hook, on low speed for three minutes. Make
sure the dough is fully hydrated. Increase speed to medium and mix until
a smooth ball forms around the hook, about 4 minutes. Place dough in new,
greased bowl and allow to bulk ferment for an hour. Punch down the dough
then use. For the bread peaches, make small buns and fully proof the
dough before baking. Bake at 350F until completely baked and hollow
sounding. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Trim the
bread to fit together to resemble a peach. Hollow the inside of the bun
for desired filling.
Fill the "peaches" with
peach pastry cream, sandwich together, glaze with apricot or peach gel, then
dust with coarse colored sugar to achieve that fuzzy look. Allow the
sugar to refrigerate for several hours before serving.
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| Peach challah with green tea and rose sugars, peach pastry cream, raspberry gelee, white chocolate sticks, lime mint and tangerine lace, vanilla ice cream disk |
I love this dish. It is
whimsical and has an element of surprise. Look for more on the modern
dessert series as summer continues.
Enjoy!




