Winter and pears are a match made in heaven. This week, food writer Libby Kimber brings you recipes that celebrate this perfect pear-ing.
Poached pear and almond cake
Serves 8
- 200g butter, chopped, plus extra 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 red wine
- 230g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 6–8 (about 800g) ripe but firm beurre bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored (bigger pears quartered)
For the poached pears, place the marsala or red wine, caster sugar, cinnamon stick and star anise in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to low and add the pear. Cover and cook gently for 15–20 minutes, or until the pear is softened and has taken on a lovely deep colour.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the pear and place in a bowl.
Bring the pear-poaching liquid to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, or until reduced to a syrup. Pour over the pear, then cover and chill until required.
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease the base and side of a 22cm springform cake tin and line with baking paper.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium–high heat and cook until foaming. Continue to cook for a further 2–3 minutes until the milk solids turn brown and the butter smells nutty (noisette stage). Add the vanilla, then remove from the heat and stand to infuse for 5 minutes. Stir in the yoghurt.
Meanwhile, place the eggs and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Pour in the warm butter mixture and continue to whisk for a further 2 minutes, or until well incorporated. Add the almond meal, salt, flour and baking powder and gently fold through until just combined and the batter is smooth.
Arrange half the pear, cut-side down, in the base of the prepared 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 until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes. Remove the collar from the tin, place a serving plate on top of the cake, then carefully flip over. Remove the baking paper to expose the pear. Top with the reserved pear and drizzle on the reserved syrup. Serve with cream.
Slow cooker method
Place the marsala or red wine, caster sugar, cinnamon and star anise in the slow cooker, stir and add the pear. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the pear has softened and taken on a deep colour.
Follow step 2, then pour the pear-poaching liquid into a saucepan and cook for 15 minutes until reduced to a syrup. Pour over the pear and chill until ready to use.
Follow steps 4–8.
Recipe from The Slow Cook by Justine Schofield, Published by Plum, RRP $39.99.
Pear and goats cheese dippers
- 2 pears, cored and cut into wedges
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup soft goat’s cheese
- 1/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup craisins
- Micro herbs, to serve
Toss pear slices in the lemon juice. Gently spread cheese onto the pear wedge. Sprinkle with pistachios and craisins.
Arrange on a platter and decorate with micro herbs.
Pear, brie and prosciutto wedges
- 200g brie, cut into long thin slices
- 24 baby rocket leaves
- 2 large pears, quartered, cored, cut into wedges
- 12 shaved slices of prosciutto, halved lengthways
- Balsamic glaze, to serve
Place a slice of brie and a rocket leaf onto each pear wedge. Wrap a strip of prosciutto around pear, cheese and rocket. Place onto a plate or platter. Drizzle with balsamic glaze if preferred and serve.
Recipes courtesy of Australian Pears; australianpears.com.au
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