Individual Pear Charlottes Food

INDIVIDUAL PEAR CHARLOTTES

Steps:

• Place an 11-inch, high-sided skillet or saute pan over high heat. Add half the pears and 1/3 cup sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pears are soft and just beginning to turn golden, 12 to 20 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the type of pears and their ripeness). Remove skillet from heat, and transfer pears to a large bowl to cool. Repeat process with the remaining pears and 1/3 cup sugar.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Whisk in cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and set aside.
• Cut the crusts from the bread. Cut each slice into three 1-by-2 1/4-inch strips. Discard the scraps, or save for making breadcrumbs. Generously brush one side of the bread strips with the butter mixture. Leaving the bottom open, line the sides of the jumbo muffin-tin cups with overlapping pieces of bread, with the buttered side facing out, against the tin, pressing as you go.
• Pack about 1 cup pear mixture into each muffin tin, making sure the pears are flush with the top of the tin and the bread slices. Place the tins in the oven, and bake until the bread is golden brown on the outside, about 20 minutes. Transfer the muffin tins to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the charlottes by inverting onto a baking sheet or cutting board. Serve immediately with vanilla bean creme anglaise and blackberry compote.

PEAR CHARLOTTES WITH CHAMOMILE CRèME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• Bring 1/2 cup water and sugar to boil in heavy small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Mix in raisins and rum. Let soak 1 hour. Drain raisins.
• Meanwhile, heat honey in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pears; sauté just until tender, about 2 minutes. Cool. Mix in raisins.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter eight 1 1/4-cup custard cups, then sprinkle with sugar. Place cups on baking sheet. Place 8 bread slices on work surface. Cut out 1 round from each slice to fit cup bottoms. Line cup bottoms with bread rounds. Cut enough of remaining bread slices into strips wide enough to line cup sides; line cup sides completely with strips, cutting to fit. Cut enough of remaining bread into 1/2-inch cubes to measure 4 cups.
• Whisk cream, sugar, eggs, rum, and vanilla in large bowl to blend well. Add 4 cups bread cubes and fruit mixture; stir to blend. Divide among prepared cups.
• Bake charlottes until center is puffed and set, about 55 minutes. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Warm in 350°F oven for 7 minutes.) Run knife around sides of charlottes. Invert onto plates. Spoon crème anglaise over warm charlottes.

PEAR CHARLOTTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large skillet, combine pears, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and lemon juice and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until pears are soft and juicy, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to high and continue cooking until liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool to room temperature.
• In a medium bowl, combine butter, remaining tablespoon sugar, and cinnamon; mix until smooth.
• Lay the side of a 5-ounce ramekin on top of the bread, and cut bread into pieces that are 1/2 inch thicker than the height of the ramekin. Turn each piece on its side and slice 3/8 inch thick.
• Butter one side of each piece of brioche with the cinnamon-sugar butter. With a long side of the bread closest to you, cut each slice vertically into 4 equal pieces. Line only the sides of the ramekins with the brioche pieces, buttered side against the ramekins. Bread should fit snugly around ramekins without any gaps.
• Divide pear mixture evenly between each ramekin, pressing down to compact. Using a serrated knife, trim off any bread that extends above the rim of the ramekins.
• Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake until tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes, and then invert onto individual plates to unmold. Drizzle custard sauce around each charlotte and top with chantilly cream. Serve warm.

CARAMEL PEAR CHARLOTTES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Make charlottes:
• Peel and core pears and cut into 1/4-inch dice. With a knife halve vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into a small bowl. In a dry 5-quart heavy kettle cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, gently swirling kettle, until deep golden. Remove kettle from heat and carefully add pears and vanilla bean pod and seeds (mixture will vigorously steam and caramel will harden). Cook mixture over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel is dissolved and pears are tender but still hold their shape, about 15 minutes. Drain pear mixture in a sieve set over a bowl and reserve any pear juices for sauce. Discard vanilla bean pod.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Butter bread slices on 1 side. Using 12 slices of bread, cut 6 bread rounds to fit in bottoms of six 2/3-cup charlotte molds or ramekins and cut 6 rounds the same size as tops of molds or ramekins. Discard crusts from remaining 8 bread slices and cut slices into 1 1/4-inch-wide strips. Put bottom rounds, buttered sides down, in molds or ramekins and arrange strips vertically, buttered sides against insides of molds or ramekins, slightly overlapping and pressing them gently to adhere. Trim any overhang flush with rims. Divide pear mixture among molds or ramekins and top with remaining rounds, buttered sides up, pressing gently. Charlottes may be made up to this point 3 hours ahead and chilled, covered.
• Bake charlottes on a baking sheet in middle of oven until bread is golden, about 25 minutes.
• Make sauce:
• In a dry 5-quart heavy kettle cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, gently swirling kettle, until deep golden. Remove kettle from heat and carefully add cream, butter, and any reserved pear juices (mixture will vigorously steam and caramel will harden). Simmer mixture, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and stir in poire William. Invert charlottes onto 6 plates and spoon sauce over them.

PEAR CHARLOTTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the pear slices in a large saute pan with 2/3 cup sugar, the salt, pear liqueur, and lemon juice. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the pears are soft. Set aside to cool.
• Place the butter, the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the cinnamon in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the mixture until it is smooth.
• Butter each piece of brioche with the cinnamon butter. With the long side of the bread closest to you, cut each slice into 3 pieces. Line the sides of the ramekins with the brioche pieces, buttered-side against the ramekin.
• Compactly fill the inside of each ramekin with about 1/4 cup of the pear mixture. Trim off any brioche that sticks up above the ramekin.
• Bake the charlottes for 15 to 20 minutes, until the brioche is toasted.
• Spoon some of the vanilla custard sauce on 4 plates, and unmold the charlottes on top.
• Top each with a dollop of creme fraiche.
• Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a stainless steel mixing bowl until
• creamy. Set aside.
• Put the milk and the vanilla extract or vanilla bean in a heavy-bottomed saucepot. Scald the milk, and slowly whisk it into the egg mixture. Put the bowl over a pot of simmering water and cook the custard, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken. It should coat the back of the wooden spoon. Do not let it boil.
• Cool the custard sauce over an ice bath. Strain and refrigerate until ready to use. Custard sauce will keep for 2 days in the refrigerator.

BLACKBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Place blackberries, sugar, liqueur (if using), and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries become soft and juicy, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve warm.

EASY PEAR CHARLOTTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add pears, sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pears are very soft and most liquid has evaporated, 20 to 25 minutes; remove from heat.
• Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter; set 1 tablespoon aside. Working with one slice at a time, brush butter onto bread, and arrange, buttered side down, along the sides of a 5-to-6-cup ovenproof bowl, overlapping slightly. Cover bottom with a single slice of bread. Reserve remaining bread to cover fruit.
• Fill lined bowl with pear mixture, mounding in center (fruit will settle during baking). Cover all with remaining bread slices; trim to fit tightly to edges of bowl. Brush with reserved butter, and press in firmly, sealing edges.
• Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 to 10 minutes in pan; turn out onto serving plate. Sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Use two large spoons to divide charlotte into pieces, and serve with lightly whipped cream.