The Origin of this Dessert

This Classic French dessert of Pêches Melba was invented in 1892 in London by renowned French Chef Auguste Escoffier. He created this dessert for a dinner in honor of Australian soprano Nellie Melba, who was in town to sing Wagner’s opera Lohengrin at Covent Garden. He used an ice sculpture of a swan (which is featured in the Lohengrin opera). The swan carried peaches which rested on a bed of vanilla ice cream, topped with spun sugar.

Later, in 1900, for the opening of the Carlton Hotel in London where he was head chef, Escoffier added a simplified version of Pêches Melba on his menu. He skipped the ice swan and simply topped the peaches with raspberry purée. The iconic dessert was born. 

Cooking notes: 

• Use fresh seasonal peaches (canned peaches are almost always too sweet, unless they are homemade.). Choose ripe, tender peaches and ideally yellow, instead of white, as they have a better acidity which contrasts nicely against the creaminess of the ice cream. Firm ripe nectarines are also acceptable. 
• Fresh or frozen raspberries can both be used, as they are meant to be reduced in a puree. If you do use frozen raspberries, make sure you thaw and drain them well before hand.
• Homemade or a good quality store-bought vanilla ice cream work well here. 
• Some “mainstream” restaurants will add whipped cream on top, but I think this is de trop (too much). A sprinkle of slivered almonds on top and a few fresh basil leaves are however acceptable in my books (though the original recipe doesn’t call for it.). 

I hope you’ll love this Pêches Melba recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart 
• Peach & Blueberry Galette
• Classic French Tarte aux Fraises
• Peach Yogurt Cake 
• Apricot Frangipane Tart

Poached Peaches Melba with Raspberry Sauce

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 people Prep Time: 2 hours

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.2/5

( 10 voted )

Ingredients

4 ripe peaches
For the Poaching Syrup: 
1 1/2 cups (300g) white sugar
3 cups (750ml) water
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
For the Raspberry Coulis: 
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen, well drained)
2 tablespoons (15g) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
To Assemble: 
1 large tub vanilla ice cream
Optional: 1/4 cup slivered almonds
Optional: 4 fresh basil leaves, for garnish.

Instructions

Step 1 - Peel the Peaches

Bring a heavy pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. Cut a small “X” into the bottom of each peach with a sharp knife. Immerse the peaches in the boiling water for 30 seconds, then immediately use a slotted spoon to transfer the peaches to the ice bath to stop the cooking.  

Transfer peaches to a cutting board and gently pull off the skins, starting from the “X” you cut. If the skin doesn’t come off easily, use a knife to help. Once peeled, cut the peaches in halves or quarters, discarding the pits. Set aside. 

Step 2 - Poach the Peaches

Combine the sugar and water in a shallow frying pan or large saucepan. Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the pan (or add the vanilla extract). Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the peaches, then bring the syrup to a slight simmer and reduce the heat. Cover and let simmer for 5–6 minutes, occasionally basting the peaches with the syrup with a spoon. Turn the peaches over and continue to poach until very tender, so that they can be easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 5 to 6 minutes more.

Turn off the heat and let the peaches cool in their poaching liquid in the pan, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Step 3 - Make the Raspberry Coulis

While the peaches are cooling, puree the raspberries in a blender. Optional: pass the raspberry purée through a fine mesh strainer to discard the small seeds. Transfer the puree to a bowl.

Immediately stir in the powdered sugar and lemon juice into the raspberry purée and whisk vigorously to make sure no lumps were formed.

Step 4 - To Serve: 

Distribute the peaches evenly into four individual serving bowls. Top with one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with raspberry coulis. 

Optional: Sprinkle each bowl with a few slivered almonds and garnish with a fresh basil leaf.

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench  and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Privacy Policy & Disclosure page for more details.

This article was first posted on August 08, 2017 and updated on August 19, 2020. 

The post Poached Peaches with Raspberry Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream (Pêches Melba) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

I often say it, but this dessert is far more simple to make than it looks. It consists of a Pâte sablée (shortcrust) which you make at home (or purchase), and of a frangipane filling which is done is two minutes by mixing simple ingredients in one bowl. The raspberries are left fresh and bare. See, simple!

This Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart is a beautiful, decadent yet not too sweet dessert that’s best when raspberries are ripe and in season.  

How to make this Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart

This recipe begins with the making of a Pâte Sablée (“sandy” shortcrust pastry). I am providing below (in the recipe section) the directions to make your own pastry from scratch – which I always find makes a huge difference in taste/quality. But if you are in a time crunch or simply don’t feel like doing it, using a store-bought shortcrust works too. The crust doesn’t need any blind baking before being filled with Frangipane.  

Next, you prepare the Pistachio Frangipane. “Frangipane” is a sweet filling traditionally made from ground almonds and used extensively in French baking to fill pies, such as the Classic Bourdaloue Tart (a recipe you can find in my cookbook) and the Galette des Rois. In this version, pistachios are added to the mix. They add another layer of nutty flavor, pairing beautifully with the raspberries and providing a pretty green color as well.

Make sure you obtain unsalted pistachios and grind them in a blender (ie. Vitamix) or a big mortar. Keep some whole pistachios aside, and chop them later on for decoration. Once ground, mix the pistachios with egg yolks, sugar, ground almonds, heavy cream and pistachio extract (or almond extract – they both work well). This frangipane filling is then poured into the crust and baked for 45 minutes, until a slight golden crust forms at the top. The inside remains a nice green color with a creamy texture.

Once the tart has cooled down to room temperature, fresh raspberries are placed at the top and then sprinkled with some coarsely chopped pistachios.

My Cooking notes:

• Making your own Pâte sablée (“sandy” shortcrust pastry) will make a big difference. But using a store-bought piecrust works too.
• Fresh raspberries are a natural match to this creamy pistachio frangipane filling. As Summer progresses and raspberries go out of season, try this tart with fresh ripe apricots, peaches or plums (cut in thin slices).

I hope you’ll love this Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart. It is a beautiful Summer dessert to serve on a weekend, for a family gathering or for any big occasion.

You can prepare it ahead of time and chill it in the fridge for up to 5 hours before serving.

You may also like:

• Apricot Frangipane Tart 
• Classic French Lemon Tart 
• Classic French Tarte Tatin 
• Strawberry Basil Galette 
• Mixed Berry Jalousie

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pardonyourfrench on Instagram and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench

Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 people Prep Time: 45 minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.8/5

( 22 voted )

Ingredients

For the Pâte sablée :
1 ¼ cup (155g) all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (50g) sugar
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in small cubes.
2 egg yolks

For the Pistachio Frangipane:
50g unsalted pistachios, shelled and ground
+ 20 g unsalted pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped
4 large egg yolks
½ cup (100g) sugar
120g ground almonds
200ml Heavy Cream (+35%MF)
1 tsp Pistachio extract (or Almond extract)

350g fresh raspberries

Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare the Pâte sablée – In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. Add the cubed butter and mix the ingredients together using your hands (rub between your palms) until you get a crumbly, sandy texture and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the egg yolks and combine until the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.

Step 2 – Make the Pistachio Frangipane – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 50g of ground pistachios with the egg yolks, sugar, ground almonds, heavy cream and pistachio extract (or almond extract), until homogeneous and creamy. Set aside.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F(180C) with a rack in the middle. 

Take the Pâte sablée of the fridge. Place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 5mm (0.2inch) thickness. Line the pie dish bottom and sides with crust – don’t worry if the crust tears, you can easily patch it together and press to seal. Trim the edges all around and poke the bottom evenly with a fork.

Pour the frangipane into the pie crust and use the back of a spoon to smooth the top. Bake for 45 minutes, until the filling is set and golden on top. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for 1 hour.

Step 3 - Assemble the tart – Rinse and gently pat dry the fresh raspberries. Place them on top of the filling to cover the entirety of the tart. Start by placing a raspberry (hole-side down) in the center and work your way around, making sure the raspberries are aligned nice and tight. For serving, sprinkle with the 20g of coarsely chopped pistachios that you set aside earlier. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench  and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench.  Bon Appetit! 

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