Perfect pear recipes for winter

Winter and pears are a match made in heaven. This week, meals author Libby Kimber brings you recipes that commemorate this good pear-ing.

Poached pear and almond cake

Serves 8

• 200g butter, chopped, plus additional for greasing
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 90g (1/3 cup) Greek yoghurt
• 4 eggs
• 230g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 200g (2 cups) almond meal
• A pinch of salt flakes
• 100g (2/3 cup) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Double cream, to serve

Poached pears

• 500ml (2 cups) marsala or purple wine
• 230g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 6–8 (about 800g) ripe however agency beurre bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored (greater pears quartered)

For the poached pears, place the marsala or purple wine, caster sugar, cinnamon stick and star anise in a big saucepan and convey to the boil. Flip the warmth right down to low and add the pear. Cowl and cook dinner gently for 15–20 minutes, or till the pear is softened and has taken on a beautiful deep color.

Use a slotted spoon to take away the pear and place in a bowl.

Convey the pear-poaching liquid to the boil and simmer for quarter-hour, or till decreased to a syrup. Pour over the pear, then cowl and chill till required.

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease the bottom and facet of a 22cm springform cake tin and line with baking paper.

Soften the butter in a saucepan over medium–excessive warmth and cook dinner till foaming. Proceed to cook dinner for an extra 2–3 minutes till the milk solids flip brown and the butter smells nutty (noisette stage). Add the vanilla, then take away from the warmth and stand to infuse for five minutes. Stir within the yoghurt.

In the meantime, place the eggs and caster sugar within the bowl of an electrical mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on excessive pace till pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Pour within the heat butter combination and proceed to whisk for an extra 2 minutes, or till nicely integrated. Add the almond meal, salt, flour and baking powder and gently fold by way of till simply mixed and the batter is easy.

Organize half the pear, cut-side down, within the base of the ready tin and drizzle over 2 teaspoons of syrup; reserve the remaining pear and syrup for serving. Pour the cake batter over the pear. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or till a skewer inserted within the centre of the cake comes out clear.

Enable the cake to chill within the tin for 20 minutes. Take away the collar from the tin, place a serving plate on high of the cake, then rigorously flip over. Take away the baking paper to show the pear. High with the reserved pear and drizzle on the reserved syrup. Serve with cream.

Sluggish cooker technique

Place the marsala or purple wine, caster sugar, cinnamon and star anise within the gradual cooker, stir and add the pear. Cowl and cook dinner on excessive for two hours, or till the pear has softened and brought on a deep color.

Observe step 2, then pour the pear-poaching liquid right into a saucepan and cook dinner for quarter-hour till decreased to a syrup. Pour over the pear and chill till prepared to make use of.

Observe steps 4–8.

Recipe from The Slow Cook by Justine Schofield, Revealed by Plum, RRP $39.99.  

Pear and goats cheese dippers

• 2 pears, cored and reduce into wedges
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup comfortable goat’s cheese
• 1/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup craisins
• Micro herbs, to serve

Toss pear slices within the lemon juice. Gently unfold cheese onto the pear wedge. Sprinkle with pistachios and craisins.

Organize on a platter and embellish with micro herbs.

Pear, brie and prosciutto wedges

• 200g brie, reduce into lengthy skinny slices
• 24 child rocket leaves
• 2 giant pears, quartered, cored, reduce into wedges
• 12 shaved slices of prosciutto, halved lengthways
• Balsamic glaze, to serve

Place a slice of brie and a rocket leaf onto every pear wedge. Wrap a strip of prosciutto round pear, cheese and rocket. Place onto a plate or platter. Drizzle with balsamic glaze if most popular and serve.

Recipes courtesy of Australian Pears; australianpears.com.au

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