Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts
As promised . . . today we have chocolate. Enough of salads!! You are banished for the weekend!!
And what a wonderful way to have chocolate this is! A delicious flourless Chocolate cake that is soooooo moreishly fudgy and wantonly scrumptious . . .
You will find yourself sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night just for . . . ONE . . . MORE . . . PIECE!! (Trust me on this.)
This was sooooo good, I sent the leftovers home with the missionaries. It was far too dangerous to keep around!
I have made this a bazillion times over the last 10 years. As the personal Chef for an American family down south, this was often on a luncheon menu . . . you know how it goes . . .
♥Ladies who lunch♥♥♥chocolate♥
They go together like peas and carrots!
I have made this a bazillion times over the last 10 years. As the personal Chef for an American family down south, this was often on a luncheon menu . . . you know how it goes . . .
♥Ladies who lunch♥♥♥chocolate♥
They go together like peas and carrots!
Believe it or not, as many times as I have baked this cake . . . yesterday was the first time I had ever eaten it myself!
Wow . . . was I impressed. This is my new favourite chocolate cake!!!
At the Manor, I usually served it with some homemade raspberry coulis, and it was very good, yes it was . . . but yesterday we just had it plain, with a bit of icing sugar dusted over top . . .
oh . . . and . . . um . . . some clotted cream.
I didn't get a picture of it with the clotted cream though . . . once we added that . . . it was quite simply . . . gone! Naturally!! (I can't believe I waited so long to make this for myself!!)
I am assuming this is ok for a gluten free diet as there is no flour, cocoa or leavening in this recipe.
*Flourless Chocolate Cake*
Makes one 9 inch cake
Printable Recipe
There are a lot of versions of this floating around. This is the one I use. When I cheffed at the Manor, this was the one my boss always requested.
8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped into bits
4 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped into bits (you want one that is at least 60% cocoa solids.)
8 ounces butter (1 cup)
9 ounces of caster sugar (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 large free range eggs, separated
Sifted icing sugar to serve
Preheat your oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. You will need a 9 inch springform pan. Remove the bottom and then place a large square of parchment paper over this bit. Replace the ring around the bottom and clamp on, making sure that the parchment paper is clamped in place. Butter the paper lined bottom of the pan and the sides. Set aside on a baking tray.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl placed over a pan simmering water, without allowing the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir as it melts, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the pan and whisk in the sugar. Pour into a larger bowl and beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating constantly.
Beat the egg whites until stiff using clean beaters. Fold these into the chocolate mixture, carefully to combine, working gently and not whisking. (You want to keep the mixture airy.) Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. The cake will rise dramatically and fall drastically when it is removed from the oven. That is ok. It's supposed to happen. Allow to cool to room temperature on the countertop then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours before removing the sides of the springform pan.
Dust with icing sugar and cut into wedges to serve.
This is a very old recipe which I have had in my files for a very long time. It is a recipe which was given to me by my mother in law back in the early 1970's.
Lord knows how long she had it kicking around! It's a very thrifty pudding which makes great use of things most of us, if not all of us, have in our larders at any given time.
It's very similar to a suet pudding, but there is no suet involved. This pudding uses good old butter! Mmmm . . . adds to the richness. There are carrots involved, of course. . . . Carrot pudding duh . . .
It's very similar to a suet pudding, but there is no suet involved. This pudding uses good old butter! Mmmm . . . adds to the richness. There are carrots involved, of course. . . . Carrot pudding duh . . .
It is really moist, with the carrots and believe it or not grated potato. Additional moistness comes from the use of Brown sugar . . . brown sugar always adds moistness.
The original recipe had no spice in it . . . I added these . . . sweet cinnamon, fiery ginger . . . baking spices . . . ground cloves, nutmeg and cardamom. Warm baking spices . . .delicious.
Think of this as carrot cake . . . but stodgier . . . steamed and not baked . . . it is a pudding that was often on the holiday menu and sometimes just for just for . . .
The brown sugar sauce is typically what I serve with it . . . but a bit of clotted cream would never go amiss . . . or custard sauce . . . vanilla ice cream . . . pouring cream.
The brown sugar sauce is typically what I serve with it . . . but a bit of clotted cream would never go amiss . . . or custard sauce . . . vanilla ice cream . . . pouring cream.
All are equally as good. Just not all at once!
Best thing about it is that it's easy . . . and it's delicious . . . economical . . . and you can basically just leave it to cook itself without heating up the oven or having to keep an eye on it.
Best thing about it is that it's easy . . . and it's delicious . . . economical . . . and you can basically just leave it to cook itself without heating up the oven or having to keep an eye on it.
It is steamed and as long as you keep the water in the bottom of the steamer topped up you will be fine.
I cook it in a pudding basin but a heat proof bowl also works very well. You could even do individual ones, but of course in that case the steaming time would be greatly reduced.
I would check them for done-ness at 40 minutes.
I do hope that you will give this delicious pudding a try. I have never known anyone to turn their nose up at it and most people come back for seconds.
I do hope that you will give this delicious pudding a try. I have never known anyone to turn their nose up at it and most people come back for seconds.
Leftovers reheat very easily as well.
*Carrot Pudding with a Brown Sugar Sauce*
Serves 8 to 10 people
Printable Recipe
Old fashioned, economical, easy and delicious!
7.5 ounces soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
2 large free range eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 1/2 ounces plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp each of cloves, nutmeg and ground cardamom
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated (1 cup)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and grated, squeezed dry ( 1 cup. Squeeze all the water out and discard before measuring.)
6 ounces of sultana raisins (1 cup)
For the Brown Sugar Sauce:
3.75 ounces of soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
2 ounces butter (1/4 cup)
2 TBS golden syrup ( can use corn syrup)
125ml of double ( heavy or whipping) cream (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Have ready a pot of simmering water, fitted with a steaming basket and a lid. Butter a large pudding basin and set aside.
Cream together the brown sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, soda, salt and spices. Stir this into the creamed mixture. Fold in the carrots, potatoes, and raisins. Spoon the pudding into the prepared pudding basin. Take a large sheet of foil. Butter it well and make a pleat in the centre. Fit this over the top of the pudding basin, leaving room for expansion. Secure with a rubber band or some twine and make air tight.
Place this into the steamer basket over the boiled and simmering water. Cover tightly with a lid. Steam for 3 hours, checking periodically to make sure that the water doesn't run dry. Add more boiling water carefully as needed.
Remove the steamer basket. Remove the foil carefully. There will be steam. Carefully slide a knife around the inside edge of the bowl to loosen. Invert a serving plate over top and then carefully tip out the finished pudding. Serve warm, cut into wedges along with the brown sugar sauce, custard, cream or ice cream.
To make the brown sugar sauce, place all of the ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally to help prevent it from catching, over a very low heat for about five minutes.
Note: Any leftovers can be reheated by placing into a steamer basket and steaming over simmering water until heated through, or covered and heated for about 40 seconds in the microwave.
*Carrot Pudding with a Brown Sugar Sauce*
Serves 8 to 10 people
Printable Recipe
Old fashioned, economical, easy and delicious!
7.5 ounces soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
2 large free range eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 1/2 ounces plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp each of cloves, nutmeg and ground cardamom
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated (1 cup)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and grated, squeezed dry ( 1 cup. Squeeze all the water out and discard before measuring.)
6 ounces of sultana raisins (1 cup)
For the Brown Sugar Sauce:
3.75 ounces of soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
2 ounces butter (1/4 cup)
2 TBS golden syrup ( can use corn syrup)
125ml of double ( heavy or whipping) cream (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Have ready a pot of simmering water, fitted with a steaming basket and a lid. Butter a large pudding basin and set aside.
Cream together the brown sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, soda, salt and spices. Stir this into the creamed mixture. Fold in the carrots, potatoes, and raisins. Spoon the pudding into the prepared pudding basin. Take a large sheet of foil. Butter it well and make a pleat in the centre. Fit this over the top of the pudding basin, leaving room for expansion. Secure with a rubber band or some twine and make air tight.
Place this into the steamer basket over the boiled and simmering water. Cover tightly with a lid. Steam for 3 hours, checking periodically to make sure that the water doesn't run dry. Add more boiling water carefully as needed.
Remove the steamer basket. Remove the foil carefully. There will be steam. Carefully slide a knife around the inside edge of the bowl to loosen. Invert a serving plate over top and then carefully tip out the finished pudding. Serve warm, cut into wedges along with the brown sugar sauce, custard, cream or ice cream.
To make the brown sugar sauce, place all of the ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally to help prevent it from catching, over a very low heat for about five minutes.
Note: Any leftovers can be reheated by placing into a steamer basket and steaming over simmering water until heated through, or covered and heated for about 40 seconds in the microwave.
Do you like Ginger as much as I like Ginger? I sure hope so, for today I'm going to show you one of the nicest ginger cakes you could ever want to bake and eat!
With this tasty cake you get a double hit of ginger flavor . . .
The first coming from a full tablespoon of finely grated fresh ginger-root . . .
The second coming from 2 tablespoons of finely chopped stem ginger in syrup . . .
I do confess, I add an additional whammy of 1 tablespoon of syrup from the jar of stem ginger . . .
All three add up to one very delicious cake. Spicy and gingery, but in a nice way. It doesn't smack you in the face, but you know that it's there . . .
This is an incredibly moist cake . . . brown sugar makes it so, and when you combine that snap of ginger, with that moist texture and a moreish lime flavored cream cheese frosting, you have a real winner.
This is the cake that will have you getting up at 2 o'clock in the morning to sample just one more tiny sliver . . . it's a real favourite in this house and I am sure it will become a favourite in yours as well.
*Lime Frosted Double Ginger Cake*
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Printable Recipe
This smells heavenly when baking. Refreshingly delicious and moist, with a fabulously creamy lime cream cheese frosting.
250g of butter, chopped (1 cup, plus 1 1/2 TBS)
110g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed firmly)
175g golden syrup (1/2 cup)
1 TBS ginger syrup from a jar of preserved ginger
1 TBS finely grated fresh ginger-root
(I use my fine micro plane grater)
150g of plain flour (1 1/2 cup)
150g of self raising flour (1 1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 large free range eggs, room temperature and whisked lightly
185ml of whole milk (3/4 cup)
2 TBS finely chopped stem ginger, preserved in syrup
For the frosting:
250g of cream cheese at room temperature (1 8 ounce pack)
60g of butter, softened (4 1/2 TBS)
185g sifted icing sugar (1 1/2 cups)
2 tsp finely grated lime zest
1 TBS fresh lime juice
To decorate:
finely grated lime zest
chopped stem ginger in syrup
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a round 8 inch deep cake tin. Line the bottom with non stick baking paper. Set aside.
Put the butter, syrups, and brown sugar into a sauce pan. Cook and stir over low heat until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved and is no longer gritty. Stir in the grated ginger-root and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
Sift the flours together into a large bowl along with the bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the butter mixture, along with the milk and beaten eggs. Fold together to combine with a large metal spoon. Stir in the chopped stem ginger and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and ten minutes until the cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for about ten minutes before carefully inverting onto a plate and then inverting it again onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting beat all of the ingredients together until smooth and well combined.
Carefully cut the cake into three equal layers. Place one layer onto a serving plate. Top with one third of the frosting. Top with the middle layer. Spread with another third of the frosting. (Just frost the middles, not the sides.) Top with the final cake layer and the remaining frosting. Sprinkle with extra lime zest and chopped ginger. Cut into wedges to serve.
Store in the refrigerator, but allow to come to room temperature to serve.
The first coming from a full tablespoon of finely grated fresh ginger-root . . .
The second coming from 2 tablespoons of finely chopped stem ginger in syrup . . .
I do confess, I add an additional whammy of 1 tablespoon of syrup from the jar of stem ginger . . .
All three add up to one very delicious cake. Spicy and gingery, but in a nice way. It doesn't smack you in the face, but you know that it's there . . .
This is an incredibly moist cake . . . brown sugar makes it so, and when you combine that snap of ginger, with that moist texture and a moreish lime flavored cream cheese frosting, you have a real winner.
This is the cake that will have you getting up at 2 o'clock in the morning to sample just one more tiny sliver . . . it's a real favourite in this house and I am sure it will become a favourite in yours as well.
*Lime Frosted Double Ginger Cake*
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Printable Recipe
This smells heavenly when baking. Refreshingly delicious and moist, with a fabulously creamy lime cream cheese frosting.
250g of butter, chopped (1 cup, plus 1 1/2 TBS)
110g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed firmly)
175g golden syrup (1/2 cup)
1 TBS ginger syrup from a jar of preserved ginger
1 TBS finely grated fresh ginger-root
(I use my fine micro plane grater)
150g of plain flour (1 1/2 cup)
150g of self raising flour (1 1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 large free range eggs, room temperature and whisked lightly
185ml of whole milk (3/4 cup)
2 TBS finely chopped stem ginger, preserved in syrup
For the frosting:
250g of cream cheese at room temperature (1 8 ounce pack)
60g of butter, softened (4 1/2 TBS)
185g sifted icing sugar (1 1/2 cups)
2 tsp finely grated lime zest
1 TBS fresh lime juice
To decorate:
finely grated lime zest
chopped stem ginger in syrup
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a round 8 inch deep cake tin. Line the bottom with non stick baking paper. Set aside.
Put the butter, syrups, and brown sugar into a sauce pan. Cook and stir over low heat until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved and is no longer gritty. Stir in the grated ginger-root and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
Sift the flours together into a large bowl along with the bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the butter mixture, along with the milk and beaten eggs. Fold together to combine with a large metal spoon. Stir in the chopped stem ginger and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and ten minutes until the cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for about ten minutes before carefully inverting onto a plate and then inverting it again onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting beat all of the ingredients together until smooth and well combined.
Carefully cut the cake into three equal layers. Place one layer onto a serving plate. Top with one third of the frosting. Top with the middle layer. Spread with another third of the frosting. (Just frost the middles, not the sides.) Top with the final cake layer and the remaining frosting. Sprinkle with extra lime zest and chopped ginger. Cut into wedges to serve.
Store in the refrigerator, but allow to come to room temperature to serve.
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I wanted to make a special dessert for Todd the other night. He is awfully fond of apple desserts. I think apple desserts are one of his favourite types of desserts when it comes right down to it. He loves to wax on about his mother's apple pies . . . but in truth . . . I have never been able to make an apple pie to come up to his mother's exacting standards.
I think that is because I make North American Apple Pies . . . and they are somewhat different. He says his mother's apple pies were solid and highly flavoured with cloves. I like my own mother's apple pies . . . her apples were soft and juicy and flavoured with cinnamon and nutmeg.
He does like all the other apple desserts I make though, and especially this one, which is an old favourite of mine. I have been making this for years and years! In fact the other day when I was making this I sent my oldest son a text to tell him I was making it . . . because making it made me think of him and how much he always loved it.
Do you find that certain foods make you think of certain people? I do. I find that it always makes great dishes taste even more special when you can associate them with a special person and a special memory.
That's the way it is for me and this recipe. I often had to double or triple it when my kids were growing up as it was a real favourite in our home. Shoefly Pie and Apple Pandowdy, makes your eyes light up and your lips say howdy! How can you not love a dessert that has a whole song dedicated to it????
I have to say . . . it's rather impossible not to love THIS version . . . with it's delicious sauce . . . tender apples and that crispy biscuit/scone topping. You break it up a bit before the dessert is finished and push it down into the juices and fruit, which for some odd reason makes it even scrummier!
It may not be the most beautiful dessert in the world, but I have found that the best and tastiest things in life often aren't the prettiest. You'll want to put this on a pan to bake . . . just in case it spills over. Enjoy!
*Apple Pandowdy*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe
Shoe fly pie and apple pan dowdy, makes your eyes light up and your lips say howdy! One of my favourite desserts. A cross between a pudding and a deep dish apple pie. Serve warm with cream if you wish.
150g of soft light brown sugar (3/4 cup, packed)
25g of plain flour (1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp salt
250ml of water (1 cup)
2 tsp cider vinegar
60ml of molasses (can use a combination of dark and light treacle) (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 pounds cooking apples, peeled and sliced into eighths (4 to 5 cups)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 TBS butter
For the topping:
100g of sifted plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 TBS cold butter
180ml of milk (3/4 cup)
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a 12 by 8 by 2 inch glass baking dish. Set aside.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk in the water, vinegar and molasses. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Arrange the sliced apples in the prepared baking dish. Pour the sauce over top to cover. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and nutmeg and dot with the butter.
To make the topping sift the flour into the bowl along with the baking powder and the salt. Drop in the cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two round bladed knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal, the size of peas. Add the milk and stir until all parts are dampened. The mixture should remain somewhat lumpy.
Drop the batter by small spoonfuls onto the top of the apples. It will not cover them completely, but that is how it should be. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Break through the biscuit topping with a fork and work it down into the apples. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve warm, spooned out into bowls with or without pouring cream if desired.
What is as light as air . . . as thin as a fairy's wings . . . and as crisp as an autumn day??? Fairy Gingerbread Biscuits, of course!!
These biscuits are incredibly addictive . . . almost dangerous to have around. They are just loaded with lots of gingerbread flavor, with plenty of snap, using both ground ginger and freshly grated ginger-root.
This is a recipe that I adapted from a book that I had in the UK which had all of the recipes in it from Cooks Country. I no longer have the book so I cannot give you the exact title of the book. It got left in the UK along with all my other books.
Heating the ground ginger in a skillet until it becomes fragrant increases it's potency and adds to the deliciousness.
I have always done that when I am making Mexican food, toast the spices in a skillet first . . . and it just makes sense that it would add flavor when using warm baking spices as well.
Just be careful not to burn them. Heat them in a dry skillet over a moderate heat until they become very fragrant. That's all, no longer.
I always grate the fresh ginger-root using my micro-plane grater. It does the perfect, fuss free job and in quick time too.
I also do garlic that way. I have two micro-plane graters. One that I use for garlic and one that I use for everything else.
A mixture of pure vanilla and orange essences heighten the lovely flavor of the ginger, creating a beautifully flavored taste treat.
Orange is a flavor that goes so well with ginger bakes. I sometimes add it to my gingerbread, or even to my gingersnaps. Try it next time you make some. You will see what I mean!
If you have all of your ingredients at room temperature and you will find that this batter mixes together really quickly and easily.
It is a bit of a faff to spread it out as thin as I do . . . but trust me when I tell you that every second of faff is worth the trouble. The thinner the better and the crisper.
My MIL's Gingersnaps are done in much the same way. Thin, crisp and very moreish. You could easily eat half of them in one go.
The end result is a biscuit that is airy and light and oh-so-crisp . . . crunchy, and quite quite irresistible. Very, very moreish.
I enjoyed mine with a cup of my favorite Blood Orange herbal tea . . . deliciously dunkable and quite tasty. These are very easy biscuits to snuffle down without a second thought!
Delicious with a warm cuppa for elevensies . . . for afternoon tea break . . . and for munching on when you just want something sweet to soothe your senses. Or for a Hobbit's second breakfast.
These are the perfect treat to bake on a sunny and warm Indian Summer's afternoon.
*Fairy Gingerbread Biscuits*
Makes about 5 dozen
Printable Recipe
As light as air, and as thin as a fairy's wings . . . deliciously spiced and as crisp as an autumn day. In other words, fabulous!
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
75g plus 2 TBS plain flour (3/4 cup + 2 TBS)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
72g of unsalted butter, softened (5 TBS)
100g plus 1 TBS soft light brown muscovado sugar (1/2 cup + 1TBS)
4 tsp grated fresh ginger-root
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp orange extract
60ml of whole milk, at room temperature (1/4 cup)
Preheat
the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Have ready 2 large flat baking
sheets. You will be working on the bottoms of the trays.
Turn the baking trays upside down and spray them with a bit of non
fat cooking spray. Tear off a couple of sheets of baking paper, and press these onto the cooking
spray on the baking sheet. Set aside. (You will be baking on them upside down.)
Add the ground ginger to a small skillet. Heat over medium heat until it becomes very fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir together with the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter together in a bowl with the sugar, until light and fluffy. Beat in the fresh ginger-root.
Stir
together the milk and flavorings. Add the milk to the creamed mixture
alternately with the flour mixture, making 3 dry additions and 2 wet, beginning and ending with the flour.
Divide the batter in half. Using a pastry scraper or a small offset spatula, spread the batter out onto the prepared baking sheet, covering the parchment paper. The batter will be very thin. This is a bit fiddly, but it is well worth the extra time it takes to get it right.
Bake, one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack, until deep golden brown, for 16 to 20 minutes. (Turn the sheet around halfway through the baking time.)
Divide the batter in half. Using a pastry scraper or a small offset spatula, spread the batter out onto the prepared baking sheet, covering the parchment paper. The batter will be very thin. This is a bit fiddly, but it is well worth the extra time it takes to get it right.
Bake, one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack, until deep golden brown, for 16 to 20 minutes. (Turn the sheet around halfway through the baking time.)
Remove from the oven and immediately score into rectangles with a
pizza cutter or a very sharp knife. Allow to cool completely before
carefully separating the cookies along the scored lines. Store in an
airtight container.
Betcha can't eat just one!
Have I ever confided in you that I just adore Pears??? Well . . . it's true. They are my favourite of all the autumn fruits . . . ok . .. so I say that about everything. I guess I am just a glutton at heart . . . but I do LOVE pears an awful lot!
Red, green . . . yellow. Tall thin hard ones like the Conference pear . . . or short red and fat round Bartletts . . . Williams, Comice . . . d'Anjou . . . I have no preference. If it's a pear, I am well acquainted with it's finer qualities and . . . well, I love them. Ohhh . . . tiny little Seckles . . .
Pickled, canned, jammed, chutney'd or poached . . . if it's a pear . . . I'm there. (I know I am corny.)
I love to eat them raw . . . perfectly ripe and sweet . . . so ripe and so juicy that you need to hold them in a napkin to keep the juices from running down your chin and on to your sweater . . .
I love to eat them still slightly crisp . . . unpeeled and sliced into salads . . . especially nice with blue cheese crumbled over top . . . some nicely toasted walnuts sprinkled about . . . and a tangy vinaigrette dressing just to offset the sweetness of the pears, that creaminess of the cheese, the crunch of the walnuts . . . and if you include endive or chicory leaves . . . so beautiful with that bitter edge.
Tucked into cakes, pies, breads, muffins . . . I love them all.
This week I came up with a favourite new way to eat them . . . Pear Dumplings. Stuffed with mincemeat . . . wrapped in puff pastry, sprinkled with demerara sugar . . . and baked until the pastry is crisp and golden, the pear is just tender . . . and the mincemeat having spiced that beautiful pear from the inside out . . . oozingly delicious when you break your fork into that tender flesh.
A spicy little hidden surprise . . . lashings of custard are a must.
*Pear and Mincemeat Dumplings*
Makes 4 servings
Printable Recipe
This is not a dessert for the faint of heart . . . make sure you bring your appetite! Impressive and delicious!
4 firm conference pears, with stems attached
4 heaped dessertspoons of your favourite mincemeat
1 packet of ready rolled all butter puff pastry
1 free range egg, beaten
demerara sugar to sprinkle
Icing sugar to dust
warm custard to serve
Have all of your ingredients ready to go. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Have a baking tray ready that you have lined with baking paper.
Unroll your pastry. Cut a two inch slice off of one end and cut it into 4 squares. Place each square leaving space in between them onto the lined baking sheet.
Peel your pears and cut a slice off of the bottom of each so that they will stand upright. Using the small end of a melon baller, go in through the bottom and scoop out the seeds, discarding them. Stuff this core with mincemeat. Place each stuffed pear onto one square of the puff pastry. Brush the remaining puff pastry with the beaten egg and cut into narrow, long strips, about 1/3 inch in width. Wind the pastry squares around each pear, folding the edges of the squares on the bottom up inside and covering the pears completely, leaving just the stem sticking out the top. Sprinkle with demerara sugar.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the heated oven until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for several minutes. Dust with icing sugar. Lift each pear carefully into a dessert bowl. Ladle warm custard around and serve.
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