Caramel Spice Pear Butter Food

CARAMEL PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 5-6 hours. Use an immersion blender (or transfer to a countertop blender) and puree until smooth.
• Leave the lid of the slow cooker open and continue to simmer on LOW for 6+ hour, or on HIGH for 4+ hours, or until the pear butter has thickened to the desired consistency.
• Taste the pear butter and if you prefer it sweeter add some more brown sugar and let it simmer for another 30 minutes or so.
• Optional: Pears tend to be a little gritty. For a smoother taste, process the pear butter in a food mill.
• If you're not canning the pear butter, it will store in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
• To can for long-term storage: Ladle the hot pear butter into sterilized jars and screw on the washed lids and rims. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours before moving the jars. Store in a dark, cool place for up to a year. For best flavor consume within 4-6 months.

VANILLA-SPICED CARAMEL AND PEAR TART

Steps:

• For crust:
• Roll out pastry to 12-inch square and trim off corners, forming slightly rounded crust. (If using all-butter puff pastry, roll out to 12-inch round.) Transfer pastry to 10-inch-diameter springform pan, pressing pastry firmly onto bottom and 1 to 1 1/2 inches up sides of pan. Freeze crust until firm, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
• For pears:
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over low heat. Add sugar and next 4 ingredients. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring until sugar melts and turns brown (color of peanut butter), about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add pears, rounded side down. Cook until pears are almost tender, turning and moving skillet around occasionally to ensure even cooking, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on ripeness of pears. Carefully turn pears over; continue to cook until pears are very tender, about 10 minutes longer. Remove skillet from heat; cool pears in skillet with spices (pears will release juice while cooling).
• For filling:
• Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Add cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. Increase heat to medium; cook until butter is golden (watch to avoid burning), 3 to 4 minutes. Remove vanilla bean and spices from butter; discard. Whisk sugar, egg, and coarse salt in medium bowl. Whisk in flour. Gradually whisk browned butter into egg mixture. DO AHEAD: Pears and filling can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover separately; let stand at room temperature. Whisk filling before using.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Brush frozen crust with beaten egg white. Pour filling into crust; spread evenly over bottom of crust (filling will be very thin). Using slotted spatula, remove pears from skillet, allowing excess syrup to drain back into skillet; reserve syrup. Arrange pears, rounded side up, atop filling (about 9 around edge and 3 in center of pan).
• Bake tart until crust is deep golden and filling is set and brown at edges, about 1 hour. Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen tart. Release pan sides. Transfer tart to platter. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature to cool slightly until just warm.
• Just before serving, boil syrup in skillet until reduced to generous 1/3 cup, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard spices. Drizzle syrup over pears. Serve tart slightly warm.

CARAMEL PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine apple juice and 4 tablespoons lemon juice in heavy large deep pot.
• Peel, core, and cut pears, 1 at a time, into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces; mix pears into juice mixture in pot as soon as pears are cut, to prevent browning.
• Cook over medium heat until pears release enough juice for mixture to boil, stirring frequently, about 16 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until pears are very tender, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes (mixture will splatter).
• Remove pot from heat.
• Press pear mixture through fine plate of food mill into large bowl.
• Return pear puree to same pot.
• Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, brown sugar, nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt.
• Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until pear butter thickens and is reduced to 8 cups, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent scorching, about 1 hour.
• Ladle pear butter into 8 hot clean 1/2-pint glass canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch space at top of jars.
• Remove air bubbles.
• Wipe jar threads and rims with clean damp cloth.
• Cover with hot lids; apply screw bands.
• Process jars in pot of boiling water 10 minutes.
• Cool completely.
• Store in cool dark place up to 1 year.

CARAMEL SPICE PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Wash the pears but do not peel or core them; slice pears into a heavy saucepan (at least 5-quart size).
• Add water, cover, and cook until tender (about 30 minutes).
• Remove from heat and press the pears through a colander or a food mill.
• Measure the pear pulp (you should have about 8 cups) and return to the pan.
• Using a frying pan, heat 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, stirring until it melts and caramelizes to a medium brown color.
• Pour immediately into the pear pulp (the syrup will sizzle and harden, but dissolve again as the preserves cook).
• Add the remaining sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger.
• Cook uncovered, until thick (about 45 minutes).
• Stir frequently as it begins to thicken to prevent it from sticking.
• Stir in lemon juice just before removing it from heat.
• Pour hot mixture into steralized 1/2 pint jars, put on lid, and crew band tightly.
• Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

CARAMEL-PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine apple juice and 4 tablespoons lemon juice in heavy large deep pot. Peel, core, and cut pears, 1 at a time, into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces; mix pears into juice mixture in pot as soon as pears are cut, to prevent browning. Cook over medium heat until pears release enough juice for mixture to boil, stirring frequently, about 16 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until pears are very tender, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes (mixture will splatter). Remove pot from heat. Press pear mixture through fine plate of food mill into large bowl. Return pear puree to same pot. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, brown sugar, nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until pear butter thickens and is reduced to 8 cups, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent scorching, about 1 hour.
• Ladle pear butter into 8 hot clean 1/2-pint glass canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch space at top of jars. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar threads and rims with clean damp cloth. Cover with hot lids; apply screw bands. Process jars in pot of boiling water 10 minutes. Cool completely. Store in cool dark place up to 1 year.

SPICED PEAR BREAD PUDDING WITH CARAMEL SAUCE FOR TWO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine water and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until dissolved and light brown in color, about 6 minutes. Pour into the bottoms of 2 custard cups; rotate cups to spread caramel across the bottoms.
• Arrange pear pieces over the caramel; top with walnuts. Sprinkle ginger, 1 pinch nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon, and 1 pinch lemon peel on top.
• Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Whisk egg, 2 tablespoons sugar, rum, 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg in a bowl until well beaten. Stir in the milk mixture slowly; mix well. Stir in bread cubes; let soak for 5 minutes. Divide mixture between the prepared cups. Place cups in a baking pan; add hot tap water to come halfway up the sides of the cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool until safe to handle, about 20 minutes.
• Run a sharp knife around the inside edge of the cooled puddings and invert onto small dessert plates.

ROASTED PEARS WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in a baking pan large enough to hold the pears in a single layer: set in the heating oven until it melts.
• Sprinkle sugar over melted butter, then place pears, cut side down, on top. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven, turn pears over and baste with pan sauce. Return to oven; bake until golden and glossy, about 10 minutes longer.
• Let cool slightly. Transfer pears to dessert plates or bowls. Top each with dollop of sour cream, drizzle with caramel pan sauce, sprinkle with nuts and serve.

CARAMEL PEAR SLICES

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pears, and toss to coat with butter. Sprinkle sugar over pears. Cook, stirring pears occasionally, until deep golden, about 30 minutes.
• Add lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is syrupy, about 3 minutes. Serve warm.