Pears

[Mama Mangia]

Here we go with PEARS!

What wonderful ways have you enjoyed pears?

Post away.......................



Brandy Pears with Almond Crunch



Almond Topping

1 large egg white
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup sliced almonds with skins
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pear

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Bosc pears
2 tablespoons brandy


To begin make the almond topping. In a medium sized bowl whisk together egg white, vanilla and sugar. To this mixture add the almond slices. Stir until the almonds are well coated.

Butter a cookie sheet. Spread the coated almonds in a thin, even layer on the cookie sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven until crisp and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure they are well toasted because it is very difficult to remove them from the cookie sheet if they are under cooked.

Remove the almonds from the oven and allow to cool.

Break topping apart with the back of a wooden spoon and scrape off the cookie sheet with a metal spatula. Set aside.

Now you are ready to make the syrup to go over the pears. To create the syrup, melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the brown sugar, water, cinnamon and cardamom and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Split each pear in half (do not peel)and remove the seeds with a melon ball scoop and place the pear halves in an 8 inch baking pan. Drizzle pears with syrup and turn until well coated.

Place the pears in a pre-heated 425 degree F oven and roast, turning once, for about 25 minutes. The pears will be tender and the syrup will be caramelized when done.

Remove the pears from the baking pan using a slotted spoon and place each half on a plate. Add brandy to the pan juices and stir until well combined.

Add a scoop vanilla ice cream to the plates then drizzle the pears and the ice cream with the syrup. Top with toasted almonds.



Pear Pudding

½ cup butter, melted
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups chopped, peeled pears
2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
½ tsp allspice, or ¼ tsp nutmeg


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In small baking dish, combine butter, vanilla, milk and sugars. Blend in flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg, baking powder, salt until smooth.

In microwave-safe bowl, combine pears mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon. Microwave until apples are soft, 2 to 5 minutes. Mix pears into the batter.

Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden.

Serve with ice cream or with a butterscotch or caramel dessert sauce (or combination of both).

[Mama Mangia]

Sauteed Pears with Anisette

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup anisette
4 tablespoons fresh ginger -- grated
3 ounces shallot -- chopped
4 Bartlett pears -- cored and sliced
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan; stir in anisette, grated fresh ginger, chopped shallots and cored and sliced Bartlett pears; saute until tender. Remove pears and keep warm. Meanwhile, deglaze pan with chicken stock and heavy cream; reduce to sauce-like consistency.

[Mama Mangia]

Upside Down Apple Cake


pears (about 1/2 lb.)
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
Vegetable cooking spray
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup of dark molasses, dark Karo syrup can be substituted
1 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 cup of hot water

Peel, core and slice pear crosswise into 7 (1/4 inch) rings. Combine pear rings and brown sugar in a bowl; toss gently. Let stand 5 minutes. Arrange pear mixture in a single layer in a 10 inch cast-iron skillet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350ºF. for 15 minutes. Combine 1/4 cup sugar, oil and egg in a large bowl; beat 2 minutes at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add molasses; beat an additional 2 minutes. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. With mixer running at low speed, add to sugar mixture alternately with hot water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon batter over pear rings. Bake at 350ºF. for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in skillet 10 minutes; invert onto a serving plate. Yield: 8 servings (serving size 1 piece).

[Mama Mangia]

Pear Coffee Cake

(serves 18)

* 2 cups dried pears
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1/2 cup margarine
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1-1/2 cups flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* Topping:
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Place dried pears and lemon juice in a bowl. Add enough water to cover and soak for 1 hour.
Cream margarine and sugar.
Add eggs and beat well.
Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture.
Add milk and vanilla. Beat well.
Pour into two 9-inch greased and floured cake pans.
Top with drained, rehydrated pear slices.
Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over apples.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes.

[Mama Mangia]

Pear and Hazelnut Crumb Pie

1 9 inch pie crust
½ cup packed golden brown sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
3 lbs. ripe Anjou pears, cut into ¾-inch pieces


Topping:

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ cup hazelnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 375°

Stir first 6 ingredients into a large bowl. Add pears and toss to coat. Spoon into piecrust.

For topping, whisk flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Add butter and rub with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in nuts. Sprinkle on top of filling.

Bake 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 350° and cook until pears are tender and filling is bubbly, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream.

Tips... you can use prepared pie crust and also use canned sliced pears.

[Mama Mangia]

PEAR CHALLAH


1 cup warm water
pinch sugar
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil (or unsalted melted butter)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 1/2 to 5 cups unbleached bread flour

Pear mixture:
3 cups coarsely chopped pears
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Egg wash and garnish:
1 egg - beaten
1 teaspoon sugar
1-2 tablespoons coarse sugar (optional) for sprinkling

non-stick cooking spray

Generously spray one 5 by 12 inch loaf pan or two 9 by 5 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. You may also use a 10 inch spring-form pan.

In a large mixing bowl, briskly whisk together the water, pinch of sugar and yeast. Let stand to allow yeast to swell or dissolve. Briskly stir in the oil (or melted butter), eggs, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Add most of flour to form a smooth but resilient dough (a soft but elastic bread dough). Add additional flour and knead - 8-10 minutes.

Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl and place this in a plastic bag and seal loosely. Let rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare pears. Place in a medium sized bowl and toss with sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Prepare egg wash by whisking together the egg and sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board. Roll or pat out into a large round (about 10 inches across). Press in half of the chopped pears. Fold in edges of dough over pears (in any way you can). Roll to flatten with a heavy rolling pin (this flattens the dough so as to offer more of a surface on which to place remaining pears). Pat or press remaining apples on dough. Bring edges of dough over, pressing in apples that may pop out. The idea is to distribute the pears over the dough in a random way.

Let the dough rest five minutes. Then, using a dough cutter or sharp knife, cut into odd shaped chunks - about 16 pieces in all. Lay pieces of pear-filled dough in prepared pan, lining bottom first, then gently laying remaining pieces on top. Top with any escaped pear pieces.

Whisk egg wash ingredients together. Dab on egg wash as thoroughly and generously as possible (since dough is not a smooth surface, you have to drizzle and dab on the glaze rather than paint it on). Sprinkle with coarse sugar (optional). Place loaf pan(s) inside a large plastic bag to rise.

Let rise until doubled or dough is puffy and has almost reached the top of the pan - 45 to 90 minutes. Bake 40-45 minutes until well browned. If top of bread starts browning too quickly (and bread interior is not done), cover lightly with a sheet of foil to protect top crust.

Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing and cooling on a rack.


VARIATION:
You can use any apple in this recipe - a combination of tart and sweet is best. If apples are new and thin skinned, you can leave the peels on - the bright red hue bakes up very prettily in the finished loaf.

I also make this bread with a combination of apples and cranberries (whole) or some plumped dried cherries.

This recipe works well with oil or melted, unsalted butter (for a danish-like effect).

I have also varied this recipe by mounding the chunks in a ten inch spring-form pan.

[Mama Mangia]

STUFFED PEARS IN PASTRY


1 pkg. (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
¼ c. plus 1 ½ t. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
6 ripe pears, peeled and cored
¾ c. chopped dried fruit
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 450* F. Grease jelly roll pan. On floured surface, unfold dough; roll each to 14-inch square. Cut each into 4 squares. Mix ¼ c. sugar and cinnamon. Fill pears with fruit; place on 6 squares; sprinkle with sugar mixture. Brush edges with water; bring corners to top of pear and pinch edges. Pres dough against pears. Cut leaf shapes from remaining dough; brush with water and press onto pears. Brush with egg; sprinkle with sugar. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 375* F. and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Cover with foil if browning too fast.

[KYHeirloomer]

Mama:

Upside Down Apple Cake
pears (about 1/2 lb.)"


"Bring edges of dough over, pressing in apples ..."


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[KYHeirloomer]

Stuffed Pears with Maple Glaze

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp flour
2 tsp apple juice
3 ripe pears, peeled and halved
6 tbls apple juice
3 tbls maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a bowl combine nuts, brown sugar, flour, and 2 tsp apple juice. Set aside.

Using a melon baller, core each pear half, creating a cavity. Arrange pears, cut side up, in a glass baking dish. Spoon nut mixture into each cavity, dividing equally and pressing to compact. Pour 6 tbls apple juice into dish around pears. Drizzle pears with maple syrup.

Bake pears, basting occasionally, until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 45 minutes. Transfer pears to serving plates and drizzle with juices.

[KYHeirloomer]

Poached Pears in Chocolate Raspberry Sauce

Pears
Simple syrup (1 cup sugar to 1 cup water)
Sweet white wine

1 10-oz pkg frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tbls cornstarch
1/4 cup (approx) chocolate morsels
Splash cocolate, chocolate-mint, or chocolate-orange liquer
Mint leaves for garnish

Leave stems in place. Peel pears. Using a melon baller, carefully core and seed the pears from the bottom. If necessary, carefully shave pear bottons so they stand upright.

Prepare poaching liquid: Mix simple syrup and sweet wine half and half. Bring to simmer. Add pears (there should be enough liquid to cover them). Gently poach until tender. Drain.

Make the sauce. Combine all ingredients except chocolate morsels and liquer. Simmer until slightly thickened. Add the morsels and simmer until melted. Add the liquer and immediately remove from heat.

Pour a puddle of sauce in a serving dish. Stand one pear upright in the puddle. Drizzle with additional sauce. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.