The Melting Pot 2.0/The Melting Pot 2.0.iso/food/fruits/pear_col.lec

Text File | 1995-09-27 | 15KB | 338 lines

Pere al Vino Rosso con Crema Pasticceria

1) To poach the pears, take three pears (I buy whichever are cheapest
and don't worry too much about ripeness.) and peel them. Then slice them
in half lengthwise and core them. Put them in a pot and cover with wine
( 2 cups). Add about 1/2 cup sugar. For more flavor you can add the any
or all of the following ingredients, but I didn't this time: 1 stick
cinnamon, 6 whole cloves, 1 tsp fennel seed, zest of one orange or
lemon. Bring the wine to a boil and simmer for   10 minutes until the
pears are soft but not mushy. Allow the pears and the wine mixture to
cool. (Letting the pears sit lets them absorb more of the red color from
the wine and makes for a more striking presentation.)

2) In the top of a double boiler, combine 6 egg yolks, 4 T sugar, and 6
t flour. Whip with a wire whisk until color becomes less yellow and
mixture is smooth. Add 1 cup milk slowly and whip to combine. Place top
over simmering water and stir with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes
until mixture thickens to a consistency similar to sauces. You should be
able to coat a wooden spoon with it, wipe a clean line with your finger,
and then turn the spoon so gravity would make the sauce run across the
clean line, but the sauce is thick enough to prevent that. This recipe
is much like a creme anglaise, but should not be as thick. Remove pastry
cream from double boiler and pass through a wire mesh strainer into
another bowl. (Health note: egg yolks have an amazing capacity to
emulsify sauces. Many recipes include many more than are really
necessary. Next time I make this, I'll try just two egg yolks, although
I suspect one would be sufficient.)

3) Remove the pears from the wine with a slotted spoon. If you added
spices to the wine, you should strain them out and pour the wine back
into the pan. Place the wine under the highest heat you can get and
reduce it. (You will reduce it to a small fraction of its original
volume. High heat will save time, and you shouldn't worry about burning
it.) When you get it to almost a sauce consistency, mix   1 T cornstarch
with  1/2 cup cold water in a cup, using your finger to break up any
lumps. Pour this into the wine. Continue reducing until you get almost
the consistency of jam or jelly. At this point you will probably want to
use a medium heat so you can stop it at the right point. When the sauce
is thick enough, pour it into a bottle with a thin nozzle similar to the
ketchup squirters you see at hamburger stands. If the sauce is thick
enough, it will not come out of the bottle when turned upside down, but
will come out slowly when you squeeze on it. If it's not thick enough,
reduce it some more.

4) Presentation. Yes, this is what makes the dish pretty. Take a white
dessert plate and spoon about 3 tablespoons of the white pastry cream
into the center. Now hold the plate vertical and turn it so that the
sauce coats the entire center of the plate without any on the rim. Grab
the ketchup squirter with the wine sauce in it and draw a series of thin
horizontal lines across the plate spaced by  1/4". Now use a toothpick,
and drag it across the plate perpendicular to the lines, up and down,
about 1/4" apart. You should now have a beautiful herringbone pattern
much like a decorated cake. Add a small sprig of fresh mint to the top
of the plate. On a cutting board, place a pear half core side down with
the line of the core perpendicular to you, with the top of the pear away
from you. Using a chef knife, slice the pear into thin  1/4" vertical
slices. Then use your hand to mush the pear slices into a pretty fruit
fan. The red of the outside of the pear will make a pretty contrast to
the white of the inside. Slide your chef knife under the pear and
transfer the pear to the center of the plate. Repeat to make six plates.

5) Do all this before dinner, and chill it. When dessert time comes,
just pull them out of the fridge and serve.


BLACK PEARS

6 fresh pears, hard but edible
juice of one fresh lemon
2 heaping T carob powder
2 T sugar or honey
1/4 t salt
1 c. heavy whipping cream

Cut the pears in half longitudinally, keeping the skin on.
Core, then coat generously with the lemon juice.  Either allow
the pears to remain raw, or bake for 7 to 10 minutes in a 350 degree
oven, then cool.
Beat the carob, sugar, and salt until the mixture either peaks or
has the thick consistency of chocolate mousse.  Spoon or pipe the
carob cream into the hollows of the pear halves.  Chill at least
30 minutes before serving.
Katie

Pears "Catherine"

4 1/2 cups sugar
1+tsp Vanila extract
8 pears
4 cups raspberries or blackberries
2 Tbsp Kirsh liqueur
3 Tbsp finely ground almonds.

Melt 4 cups sugar in 4 1/2 cups sugar. Boil, strain, add vanila extract
and pass through a muslin cloth.
Pour the syrup into a clean pot, add the pears and steam until soft (but not
too soft).
Puree the berries in a bowl.  If canned, discard part of the juice.
Add the rest of the sugar and mix with the berries.  Add also the liquer.
To serve: Take the pears out of the syrup, pour some of the berry puree
over each pear and straw on top with the almonds.
Enjoy - Gad S. Sheaffer      [e-mail]



Pear Butter

Put pureed pears and sugar in a roaster in a low oven overnight.  In the        morning it was nice and thick (like apple butter)- put it up in jars.

Great with peanut butter for sandwiches or instead of syrup on pancakes
and waffles.


Doree's Extravagant Almond Cake

1/2 pound almond paste
1 1/4 cups sugar (Note:  I use vanilla sugar)
1 cup butter, at room temperature
5 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extraxt
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 pound additional almond paste (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Butter and flour a bundt pan or a 9-inch
springform pan (note:  or 2 loaf pans, for tea cake servings).

Combine the almond paste and sugar in a food processor and work until well
blended.  Add the butter and continue to process until blended; then add the
eggs, one at a time, the sour cream, and the flavorings.  Transfer the mixture
to a mixing bowl.

Sift flour with baking powder, soda, and salt.  Add it to the batter a
third at a time, gently stirring in each cupful.  For the extravagant
touch, break another 1/2 pound--or less-- almond paste into pieces and fold
them into the batter.  Turn the batter into the baking pan and bake the
cake in the middle of the oven until the cake is golden on top and springy
to the touch, about 1 hour (Note:  I find that I have to bake the cake for
about an hour and twenty minutes or more to have a bamboo skewer come out
clean.)  Remove the cake from the oven and let is stand to cool slightly;
then turn it out onto a serving plate.  When cool, dust it with sifted
powdered sugar.  This cake will keep well, wrapped tightly, for several
days.

(Huggett variation:  Almond Pear Cake.  Peel, seed, and lightly puree about
5 Bartlett pear.  Or, drain and lightly puree a can (approx 1 lb) of pears.
Heat puree with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat until
most of the liquid is reduced and puree resembles a thick applesauce.  Should
measure about 1 1/2 cups.  Increase to 10-inch springform pan.  Stir into
almond mixture before addition of flour.  Increase flour by 1/2-3/4 cup.)


WINE-POACHED PEAR TART

1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup + 3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
12 Tbs. butter
1 egg yolk
1 bottle (31/2 cups) white wine
Zest from 1/2 lemon
8 firm pears
1/2 tsp. almound wxtract
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Combine flour, 2 Tbs. sugar and salt.  Cut in 10 Tbs. butter.  Mix egg
yolk with 1 Tbs. cold water and toss into flour mixture.  Gather into a ball.
Roll and fit into a 10" tart pan.  Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.  Combine wine,
3/4 cup sugar and zest and bring to a boil.   Peel, halve, and core the pears.
Add them to the pot, cover and simmer 20 minutes.  Remove 6 pear halves and
continue cooking remaining pears 15 minutes.  Remove remaining pears and
process them with extract and nutmeg.  spread puree in tart shell.  Slice
reserved pears and arrange on top.  Sprinkle with one Tbs. sugar and broil
untill lightly browned.


Chocolate Pears

2 cups water
3/4 cups sugar
2 Tbs. Lemon juice
1 (3" long) Cinnamon stick
4 firm Bosc pears (1 3/4 lbs.)

CHOCOLATE SAUCE
1/4 cup half-half
1/2 cup sugar
2 squares (1-oz. size) Unsweetend Chocolate
2 Tbs. butter or margine
1 tsp. almond extract

1. In a two quart microwave safe casserole, mix water, 3/4 cup sugar, lemon
juice, and cinnamon.  Microwave, covered, at HIGH (100% power) 4 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, leaving stems on, pare pears; then core them through bottom.
Cut thin slice off each bottom so pears will stand up.  Place pears in hot syrup
turning to coat with syrup.  Microwave, covered at HIGH 10 minutes, turning
pears in syrup after 5 minutes and rotating dish.  Let pears cool in syrup;
chill 2 hours or overnight.
3.  Before serving, make sauce:  In a medium-size glass bowl, mix half and half
and sugar.  Microwave, uncovered, at HIGH 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute.
Add chocolate; microwave at HIGH 30 seconds.  Stir until chocolate is melted.
Stir in butter until melted, then extract.  Spoon 2 tablespoons sauce onto
each serving plate; top with pear.  Spoon 1 tablespoon sauce over each.
Makes 4 servings; 484 calories per serving.


         PIQUECHAGNE (LE POIRAT)

 1-1/2 lb   pears, peeled, cored and quartered
     1 TBS  sugar
   1/2 C.   heavy cream, whipped very lightly

 1-3/4 C.   flour
   1/2 C.   walnuts, finely ground
     1 tsp  cinnamon
     1      egg
   2/3 C.   sugar
     5 oz   butter

Grind walnuts with 2 TBS flour in food processor. Add remaining flour, sugar
and cinnnamon. Cut in butter. Blend in eggs to make a ball of dough. If ball
will not form add cold water 1 tsp at a time. Chill 30 minutes.

Roll out 2/3 dough and line a pie pan with it. Arrange pears in a cartwheel
fashion around the outside and fill center with the rest.

Roll out remaining pastry to make top crust. Cut a 2-1/2" hole in the center.
Brush edge of bottom crust with cold water and press to seal on top crust.
Brush top crust with water and sprinkle on sugar. Chill until pastry is firm.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until browned and pears are tender.
Serve warm. Just before serving, pour the whipped cream into the center.



Fruit Souffle'
This fruit souffle, made without a cream-sauce base, is as light as a
cloud, a delicate reminder of summer during the long, cold winter months.
Use canned applesauce, apricots, sour cherries, or pineapple or fresh
berries, apricots, pears, or peaches.  None of these fruits need cooking,
but they should be well drained.  The hot fruit puree will set and
stabilize the egg whites.
3/4 cup fresh or canned fruit puree
1 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Sugar to taste
3 egg whites
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 1 quart souffle dish and
sprinkle it with sugar. Heat the fruit puree in a small pan. Add the lemon
juice, salt, and sugar, and stir to blend; remove from the heat. Beat the
egg whites until stiff but not dry and stir them into the hot puree until
evenly blended. Spoon into the souffle dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Pear and Walnut Salad.
Peel, core and slice ripe pears and sprinkle with lemon juice. Pour over a
little pear brandy if available, or kirsch or white rum.  At serving time,
sprinkle with chopped walnuts.


GLAZED PEAR FLAN

Pastry:   1 c. flour
          dash of salt
          3 T. sugar
          6 T. butter or margarine
          1 slightly beaten egg yolk
          1/2 t. vanilla

Filling:  1 can (16 oz.) pears
          2 packages (3 oz. each) cream cheese,
               softened
          1 1/2 T. pear syrup
          2 T. powdered sugar
          1/2 t. almond extract (OR 3 T. Amaretto)
          1/3 c. apricot preserves
          1 T. pear syrup
          2 T. sliced almonds

To make pastry, mix flour, salt and sugar.  Cut in butter until
mixture is crumbly.  Blend in egg yolk and vanilla.  Chill 30 minutes.
Roll pastry on lightly floured surface to an 11-inch circle.
Carefully fit into 9 1/2-inch flan pan with removable bottom, pressing
pastry firmly against sides.  Prick bottom and sides with fork.  Bake
at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake 5
minutes longer.  Cool thoroughly.
To make filling, drain and slice pears, reserving syrup.  Combine
cream cheese, 1 1/2 T pear syrup, sugar and almond extract.  Spread in
bottom of pastry.  Arrange pear slices lengthwise on top of filling so
that there is a pear slice on each to-be-cut piece.  Heat apricot
preserves and 1 T. pear syrup.  Cool slightly.  Spoon over pears.
Refrigerate and sprinkle with almonds beofre serving.

Note:  If using fresh pears, pare 3 winter pears (Bosc, D'Anjou)
leaving on stems.  Poach them in 2 c. rose wine, 1 c. sugar, few drops
red food coloring (optional).  Bring to a boil then simmer 30-40 min.



Caramelized Pear Tart

Pastry:
        14 Tbsp. butter, softened
        1/2 cup sugar
        3 egg yolks
        zest of 1 lemon, grated
        3/4 cup finely ground almonds
        1 3/4 cups flour

Filling:
        2 1/2 lbs. ripe, firm pears, peeled, cored,  and cubed
                (or large can of pears drained/cubed, though not as good)
        8 Tbsp. butter
        3/4 cup sugar
        1/3 cup toasted almonds


Cream butter and sugar until smooth.  Add egg yolks and zest, mix well.
Add almonds and flour, mix well.  Form into ball, wrap with plastic, and
chill 1 hr.

Grease 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom.  On lightly floured
surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness.  Transfer to pan and press
to bottom and sides.  Line dough with foil and fill with pie weights or
dried beans.  Bake at 400 degrees(F) for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and
weights, bake 3 minutes until golden.

While crust is baking, melt butter in large, heavy skillet.  Over medium
heat, saute pears until tender.*   Sprinkle with the sugar and cook until
fruit is caramelized(golden brown.)  Place filling in baked crust and
sprinkle with toasted almonds.  Serve warm or chilled.

*  If using canned pears, don't cook the pears first--add sugar with pears.