Poached Pears

My one fan has spoken.  She wants every single recipe from Herbs & Spices night.  I will try to oblige.  It may mean a little more brusque, and less witty, writing from me.  The world will survive.

These poached pears come straight from the charming David Lebovitz - while I give you the recipe here out of courtesy, I direct you to his blog which has more pictures, and more details, if you're actually going to make these delicious and versatile pears.

Poached Pears (print recipe)

Makes four servings

I’ve offered a few variations at the end of the recipe. You can also poach the pears in halves (cored) or whole. Note that the poaching time will be longer if the pears are in larger pieces than quarters. The best way to test if the pears are done is by poking one with a paring knife; if it meets no resistance, it’s done.
You can serve these pears alongside a favorite cake, like the chocolate pain d’épices, below, from The Sweet Life in Paris, or even a slice of regular Pain d’épices. Of course, they go very well with gingerbread, and I’ve even swapped them out for the quinces in Quince tarte Tatin.

1 quart (1l) water
1 1/3 cup (265 g) sugar
4 Bosc pears; peeled, cored, and quartered

Additions: One cinnamon stick, 2 teaspoons whole cloves, black peppercorns or allspice berries, one lemon half, one split vanilla bean, 2-3 star anise, 6-8 fresh ginger slices

1. In a large saucepan, heat the water and sugar until warm and the sugar is dissolved. Add any of the additions that you wish.
2. Slide in the pears and cover with a round of parchment paper, with a small hole cut in the center.
3. Keep the liquid at a very low boil and simmer the pears until cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the pears.
4. Remove from heat and let the pears cool in their liquid.
Optional: After poaching the pears, while the liquid is still warm, add approximately 1/2 cup (120 g) dried sour cherries, cranberries, raisins, or dried currants and let them plump.

Serving
Serve the pears warm or at room temperature. Accompany with perhaps a scoop of Vanilla ice cream and some dark chocolate sauce, a spoonful of crème fraîche, Milk chocolate & black pepper ice cream, fresh raspberries, or alongside a wedge of spice cake or gingerbread.

Storage
Store the pears in their liquid in the refrigerator, in a covered container, until ready to use. Remove the pears from the refrigerator a few hours prior to serving, and re-warm them gently in the liquid, if you wish. The pears will keep for up to 5 days.

Variations
In place of the water, you can add 2 cups (500 ml) water and 2 cups (500 ml) white wine (sweet or dry) or sparkling cider, or 3 cups (750 ml) red wine and 1 cup (250 ml) water
In place of the sugar, you can use 1 cup (320 g) honey or 1 1/4 cups (275 g) dark, unrefined sugar, such as turbinado or cassonade.

Recipe taken shamelessly word for word from David Lebovitz

1 year ago:  Blueberry-Cherry Pie
2 years ago:  Pumpkin Donut Muffins
3 years ago:  Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Vanilla-Pear-Walnut Muffins

Yeah, so I'm into fall now. Get your peeler and join me.

Thursday is muffin/bagel/bread breakfast day at my house. Sometimes I buy mini cinnamon raisin bagels and we eat them with strawberry cream cheese. Sometimes I make banana or pumpkin bread. And sometimes, if the stars align on Wednesday, I can really make something special, something like these muffins.

I give you an EXACT quote from Ginger: "Mmm-mmm! These muffins are the BEST I've EVER tasted." As we all know, 3-year-olds NEVER exaggerate. And I think that's all I need to say about these.

Vanilla-Pear-Walnut Muffins

Topping:
3 T sugar
2 T chopped walnuts, ground
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil or walnut oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 or 5 firm, ripe pears, 2 lbs total weight, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin cups with butter or nonstick cooking spray. To make the topping, stir together the sugar, walnuts and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. To make the muffins, in a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla until blended. Add the dry ingredients, stirring just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold in the pears and walnuts just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Take care not to break up the fruit. Do not overmix.

4. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim. Sprinkle the muffins evenly with the topping.

5. Bake until golden, dry, and springy to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted in to the center of a muffin should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature with butter (or nutmeg butter.) Recipe says it makes 14 muffins but it made 19 for me. Go figure.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Muffins

Silver Dollar Pear Pancakes

Last year for Pancake Week my very favorite recipe was Double Coconut Pancakes with Vanilla Pear Sauce. I think pears naturally pair with pancakes beautifully. And these little loves are no exception. The coring/peeling was a bit of work (I used my twirly-whirly apple corer but the pears were a bit too soft and got lots of juice all over the place, but yummy juice) but it all paid off when we sat down to gobble them up. Delicious!

Silver Dollar Pear Pancakes
Pears:
4 Bosc or Bartlett pears
3 T pure maple syrup, plus more for drizzling
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon (I used pumpkin pie spice for fun)
1/2 tsp unsalted butter

Pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 T sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk
4 T unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 tsp for griddle

1. Core pears with an apple corer. Starting at the bottom, slice pears crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rings, and toss in a small bowl with maple syrup and cinnamon.

2. To make pancake batter, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 T melted butter; whisk to combine. Batter whouls have small to medium lumps.

3. Heat an electric griddle to 375 degrees or a heavy skillet until very hot. Brush with butter. Place a few pear slices on griddle, 2 1/2 inches apart. Let cook 1 minute. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter into the center of each pear ring. Using the bottom of the ladle, gently push batter over edges of pears. Let cook until pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, about 2 1/2 minutes.

4. Using spatula, turn pancakes over; cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining pears and batter. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and extra syrup.Recipe from Martha Stewart Living, February 1998

Gingersnap Pear Tart

I made this one to take to my sister's for Christmas dinner, and I thought I'd bring it to you on New Year's Eve. It was a perfect way to break in my *NEW* food processor, making the gingersnap crumbs, but beyond that it was totally beautiful, delicious and decadent. I just love it when recipes work out! This one is going down in my list of "Top Desserts that Impress." I've never had anything quite like it before, but I definitely plan to again.Warning: Plan ahead - this baby cools and chills for 3 hours total AFTER baking so just allow enough time.

Gingersnap Pear Tart
1 cup gingersnap crumbs
2 T butter, melted
1 pkg (8 oz.) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 pkg (8 oz.) fat-free cream cheese
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 large ripe pears, peeled and thinly sliced (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until set. Cool in wire rack.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheeses until smooth. Beat in 1/3 cup sugar, flour and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust.

3. Combine pears, cinnamon and remaining 1/4 cup sugar; arrange pear slices over cream cheese mixture. Place pan on a baking sheet (I forgot to do this and it was fine.) Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes or until almost set. Immediately run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Makes about 8 servings.Recipe from Taste of Home Light & Tasty magazine

Cranberry-Pear Bars (by Kat)

Another winning mix of flavors not seen often enough! The sweetness of the pear is perfect coupled with the tartness of the cranberries. And for me, the star of the show is actually the frosting, and I'm not such a frosting girl! The combination of the orange and cinnamon is so yummy. Not such a surprise since those two friends make an excellent pairing in tea, but it really made me wonder why I don't combine them more often in baking. That needs to be fixed!

These bad boys are more of a cake than a bar cookie, so I don't think they would work well as part of a goody plate ensemble. They would be great to bring to a holiday potluck or to close a holiday meal - they're moist but not too dense, with just the right level of sweetness to make a nice dessert. Or a nice snack, say, as you walk through the kitchen.

While mixing these, I kept checking the recipe to see if I'd forgotten something. Nope, they really are this simple. I didn't bother thawing the cranberries - I'm not the most patient girl - and I also gave them a rough chop. For the frosting, I made a basic butter cream frosting and added 2 T of orange juice concentrate instead of the orange zest. (Are you listening, Santa, I really need a new micro-plane grater!) I don't have a jelly roll pan (again, Santa!), so I just baked these in a 9x13 pan, which worked well but required slightly longer in the oven to cook through.Cranberry-Pear Bars
1 white or yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 T finely grated orange peel
1 firm pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Easy Orange Frosting (see recipe below)
Ground cinnamon, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 15x10x1 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl combine the cake mix, eggs, melted butter and orange peel. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds or until combined. Fold in the chopped pear, cranberries and pecans.

3. Spread mixture in the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Frost with Easy Orange Frosting. If desired, sprinkle with ground cinnamon on top. Cut into bars; makes 48.

Easy Orange Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine one 15 to 16 ounce can of vanilla frosting (or better yet make your own), 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp grated orange peel.

To store: place bars in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, December 2009

Pear Upside Down Cake

Hi, it's me again! I wasn't expecting to be back so soon, but I was told in no uncertain terms that this cake recipe should be shared, so here it is.

When my first daughter was born some 9 years ago, I was looking for an alternative to the messy standard First Birthday fare. I wanted her first cake to be special... maybe even slightly healthy... but not too much. In a stroke of brilliance, I decided to try a spice cake made with pears and thus all four of our children have had Pear Upside Down Cake for their first birthdays. One year I tried frosting it with cream cheese frosting, but that was no good. This year I think I finally got it right. The tangy brightness of homemade raspberry freezer jam was the perfect foil for the sweetness of the cake.


Maren's Pear Upside Down Cake
(Makes 2 cakes*, 8 slices each)

Cake:
1 box of Duncan Hines Spice Cake mix (see, it's not health food)
1/2 cup applesauce
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1/2 tsp ginger

Fruit:
2 pears
1/2 cup light brown sugar

Raspberry freezer jam, regular raspberry jam, or raspberries for topping

Heat oven to 350º. Mix the cake ingredients together on low to blend, then on medium for 2 full minutes. Grease and flour or spray two 9 inch round cake pans (layer pans). Core and peel the pears and cut into slices or pieces. Spread the pears and brown sugar evenly in the bottom of the pans. Top with cake batter, spreading evenly, shaking lightly and tapping to remove trapped air.

Bake the cakes for 30 minutes or until the center springs back when touched and cake pulls away from the edges of the pans. Cool, invert onto 2 plates. Serve with raspberry sauce or fresh berries on top of each slice.

*If you don't need 16 servings at once, you can wrap one cake tightly in plastic wrap and then foil and store it in the freezer.

Double Coconut Pancakes with Vanilla Pear Sauce

Happy Official International Pancake Day!!!

I have always loved the flavor and moist texture buttermilk lends to pancakes, but I never would have guessed coconut milk could do the same. And with the unusual but delicious compliment of vanilla, pear and cardamom in the sauce, you've just got a real special treat on your plate. While I liked all the pancakes posted this week, I think this recipe was my favorite.

Double Coconut Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
2 T flaked sweet coconut
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 T butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Combine coconut milk, butter and egg; stir well. Add wet mixture to dry, stirring until smooth.

Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet. Cook 3 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn and cook 2 minutes more or until bottoms are lightly browned.
Makes 4 servings of 3 pancakes each
Per serving: Calories 300, Fat 9.7g, Chol 60mg, Protein 7.6g, Fiber 1.4g

Vanilla Pear Sauce

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tsp butter
2 cups sliced peeled pear (10 ounces)
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
Dash freshly ground black pepper

Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over med-high heat. Cook 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Transfer syrup to a small bowl; set aside.

Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add pear to pan; cook 3 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently. Return syrup to pan; stir in fresh lemon juice, vanilla, cardamom, and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
Makes 2 cups (serving size 1/4 cup) Per serving: Calories 131, Fat 1g, Cholesterol 3mg, Protein 0.2g, Fiber 1.3g

Both recipes from Cooking Light, December 2006