Marsala-Baked Pears
Drizzled with Marsala wine, this baked dish from the Chez Panisse Fruit cookbook by Alice Waters enhances the natural, mellow sweetness of the pears to produce a rich, yet light, dessert.
Ingredients:
6 medium pears (Bosc or D’Anjou)
2 ½ cups Marsala wine
½ cup sugar
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°.
2. Slice â…›-inch off the bottom of each pear so it will sit flat. Arrange the pears in a ceramic baking dish just large enough to hold them snugly.
3. Pour the Marsala over the pears and sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake pears for about 1 hour, basting them every 15 minutes with their cooking juices. They are done when they can be easily pierced with a knife and look caramelized and golden.
5. Serve the pears on individual dessert plates, drizzled with the juices from the baking dish and with a dollop of crème fraîche or mascarpone alongside.
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Blue Cheese-Stuffed Roasted Pears with Arugula
Roasted and topped with cranberries, hazelnuts and blue cheese, these pears from the Barefoot Contessa are incredibly flavorful.
Ingredients:
3 ripe, but firm, pears
3 ounces Westward Blue cheese
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup apple cider vinegar
Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons port or dessert wine
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup olive oil
6 ounces arugula greens
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Slice pears lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.
2. Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.
3. In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.
4. Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, ¼ cup of lemon juice, and ¼ cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Divide the arugula among 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.
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Honey-Roasted Pear Salad with Thyme-Apple Verjus Vinaigrette
This salad is a stunner!
Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
4 ripe but firm Bosc pears (about 2 ½ pounds), halved, cored
¼ cup honey
6 cups mixed spring greens, such as this week’s Wrinkled Crinkled Cress, Claytonia and salad mix
6 ounces blue cheese, sliced or coarsely crumbled
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
Dressing:
â…“ cup apple verjus
â…“ cup olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Method:
1. To prepare the dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°. Scatter thyme sprigs on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the pear halves cut side down on a work surface. Starting ½ -inch from stem and leaving the pear half intact, cut each lengthwise into scant ⅓- to 1/2 -inch-wide slices. Press pear gently to fan slices; place atop thyme sprigs. Drizzle pears with honey; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until pears are tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand on a baking sheet at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
3. Combine the greens in a large bowl. Add a drizzle dressing and toss to coat, adding more to taste. Divide the salad among plates and place a pear half on top of the greens. Garnish salads with cheese; sprinkle with nuts.
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Moscato-Poached Pears
This simple poaching method produces a beautifully-light dessert.
Ingredients:
6 Bosc pears
2 cups Moscato
½ cup honey
1½ cups water
Pinch of salt
Method:
1. Peel pears (optional); cut each in half lengthwise and remove cores (a melon baller works well for this).
2. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add the pear halves, and gently poach the pears until they are just tender. Remove pears to a shallow pan. Reduce the poaching liquid under medium high heat until it is a syrup, and then drizzle over the pears.* You can serve the pears immediately while still warm with a scoop of ice cream and their syrup, or they can also be served at room temperature with a small cookie and a dollop of crème fraîche.
* The pears can also be refrigerated at this point. To serve, the pears can be reheated in their syrup, or served chilled, topped with other fresh fruit and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream.
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Roasted Pears with White Balsamic Vinegar
Topped with honey drizzle and creamy goat cheese, these pears are stunning for dessert or atop arugula greens in a tasty winter salad.
Ingredients:
4 red pears, halved and seeded
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
8 tablespoons fresh goat cheese
½ cup honey
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place pat of butter in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish and melt in oven for 2 minutes.
2. Remove from oven and arrange pears cut side down, single layered. Pop back into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until pears are just tender. Then, remove and pour vinegar over pears and roast for 7 minutes more.
3. Transfer pears to serving dish, cut side up. Spoon juices over pears from baking dish. Sprinkle cheese on and around pears, then drizzle with honey. Grind fresh black pepper over the top of pears and cheese.
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Rustic Pear Galette
This country-style tart allows ripe Bosc pears to shine, kissed with brown sugar and a gorgeous honey glaze.
Ingredients:
Farm & Larder galette dough, chilled
3 Bosc pears
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Pinch ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon boiling water
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425° and prepare the filling: Peel pears, coring and cutting them into ¼ -inch slices. In a large bowl toss the pear slices with the lemon juice. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, brown sugar and cinnamon and toss until the pears are evenly coated. Set aside.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a large circle about nine inches in diameter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and draping the dough over the rolling pin, transfer to the prepared baking sheet. (If the dough breaks at all patch it up with your fingers and a dab of ice water.)
3. Arrange the pears in a mound in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the border over the filling. Bake the tart for 15 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 350° and bake for another 40 minutes, until the pears are tender and the crust is golden brown.
4. In a small bowl stir together the honey and boiling water to make a glaze. When the tart is done remove it from the oven and brush the honey glaze all over the top of the fruit and crust. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
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Prosecco-Poached Pears
This simple poaching method produces a beautifully-light dessert.
Ingredients:
4 Bosc pears
2 cups prosecco
½ cup honey
1 ½ cups water
Pinch of salt
Method:
1. Peel pears (optional); cut each in half lengthwise and remove cores (a melon baller works well for this).
2. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add the pear halves, and gently poach the pears until they are just tender. Remove pears to a shallow pan. Reduce the poaching liquid under medium high heat until it is a syrup, and then drizzle over the pears.* You can serve the pears immediately while still warm with a scoop of ice cream and their syrup, or they can also be served at room temperature with a small cookie and a dollop of crème fraîche.
* The pears can also be refrigerated at this point. To serve, the pears can be reheated in their syrup, or served chilled.
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Roasted Pumpkin & Pear Soup
The classic fall soup gets a delightful new twist with sweet roasted pears.
Ingredients:
1 pumpkin, cut into thick slices
2 ripe pears, peeled and cored
3 Cipollini onions, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Cut pumpkin into thick slices, removing seeds and stringy loose flesh inside. (Reserve seeds for roasting, if desired). Cut the pears in half, peel and core.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the pumpkin and pears on top. Bake in a preheated 375° oven until both the pears and pumpkin are fork tender and beginning to brown, about 25 minutes for the pears and 45 minutes for the pumpkin. Allow to cool and scoop out the pumpkin flesh, keeping 4 cups for the soup and reserving rest for another use. Chop pears coarsely.
3. In a heavy soup pot heat the butter and add the onions. Cook over medium low heat until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown.
4. Add the garlic and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add the pumpkin and pears and about 4 cups of broth. Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.
5. Blend, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding additional broth if soup is too thick.
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Pear-Cranberry Galette
This country-style tart allows ripe fall pears to shine, kissed with tart cranberries, brown sugar and a gorgeous honey glaze.
Ingredients:
Farm & Larder galette dough, chilled
4 Olympic Asian pears
1 cup fresh cranberries, washed
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
5 tablespoons brown sugar
Pinch ground cinnamon
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425° and prepare the filling: Peel pears, coring and cutting them into ¼ -inch slices. In a large bowl toss the pear slices with the cranberries and sprinkle in the cornstarch, brown sugar and cinnamon and toss until the fruit is evenly coated. Set aside.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a large circle about nine inches in diameter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and draping the dough over the rolling pin, transfer to the prepared baking sheet. (If the dough breaks at all patch it up with your fingers and a dab of ice water.)
3. Arrange the fruit filling in a mound in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Dot the fruit with the butter, cut into small pieces. Fold the border over the filling. Bake the tart for 15 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 350° and bake for another 40 minutes, until the pears and cranberries are juicy and tender and the crust is golden brown.
4. When the tart is done remove it from the oven and transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
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Whole-Poached Seckel Pears
These petite little pears are the perfect sweet bite, poached in just a little sugar and cinnamon.
Ingredients:
1½ cups water
â…“ cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
7-8 ripe, but still firm, Seckel pears, peeled
Method:
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, add water, sugar and cinnamon stick. Dissolve sugar over medium heat.
2. Add pears, making sure they’re completely submerged, and cook at a gentle simmer, partially covered, for 15 to 20 minutes depending on their size and level of ripeness. Turn off heat (don’t worry if they don’t look completely done, the pears will continue softening as they cool), remove from burner, and let cool in the poaching liquid. The pears can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
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