Luscious Pears In Raspberry Sauce Food

LUSCIOUS PEARS IN RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut the pears in half lengthwise, remove seeds, peel and core. Place the pears cut side down in an oven-proof baking dish.
• Combine the juice, jam, mirin (or substitute), cinnamom, nutmeg or cardamom, vanilla pod piece and salt.
• Pour this mixture over the pears; cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake pears until soft, about 25 minutes.
• Remover the vanilla pod and arrange the pears cut side up on a serving platter. Spoon remaining sauce from the baking dish over the pears. Garnish with mint leaves or verbena leaves if desired.

WARM PEAR-AND-RASPBERRY STRUDEL

Steps:

• Cut the strudel into 6 pieces with a serrated knife. Dust lightly with the confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

QUICK SAUTE OF PEARS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• With a stainless steel knife, peel and core the pears. Cut them into eighths. Rub them with lemon so they do not discolor. Set them aside in a covered bowl in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the pears over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until they begin to brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a serving platter. Deglaze the pan with liqueur and raspberry preserves and reduce until syrupy and thick. Spoon over the pears and garnish with almonds and frozen yogurt or whipped cream if you wish.

RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the package of raspberries, the granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and Framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

PEAR-HAZELNUT CHEESECAKES WITH PEAR-RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Purée all ingredients in blender. Strain into small bowl. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover; refrigerate.)
• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line four 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups with foil; spray lightly with nonstick spray. Finely grind nuts and sugar in processor. Add butter; blend until mixture holds together. Press 1/4 of nut mixture onto bottom of each prepared dish. Place dishes on baking sheet; bake crusts until slightly darker in color, 8 minutes. Set aside. Maintain oven temperature.
• Make filling:
• Combine pear and nectar in small saucepan. Boil over medium heat until mixture resembles chunky sauce, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Cool completely.
• Beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in 2/3 cup chunky pear sauce (reserve any remaining sauce for another use). Divide filling among crusts.
• Bake cakes until center is set and slightly puffed, about 30 minutes. Cool in dishes on rack. Cover; chill overnight.
• Using foil as aid, lift cakes from dishes. Peel foil from sides. Slide spatula under crusts and transfer cakes to plates. Spoon pear-raspberry sauce around cakes. Garnish with mint, if desired.

CAMPARI-POACHED PEARS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups cranberry-raspberry juice drink, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/2 cup Campari and orange peel strips in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and reduce heat to very low, keeping poaching liquid hot.
• Peel pears, leaving stems attached. Rub pears all over with cut lemon halves. Using melon baller, remove cores through wide end of pears, then cut thin slice off wide ends so that pears can stand upright. Add pears to poaching liquid. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until pears are tender, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool pears in poaching liquid. Refrigerate until cold, at least 6 hours.
• Puree raspberries with their syrup, 2 tablespoons orange liqueur and currant jelly in blender. Strain raspberry sauce through fine sieve. Chill until cold, about 1 hour. (Pears and raspberry sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and keep refrigerated.)
• Whisk mascarpone, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons orange liqueur in bowl to blend.
• Spoon some raspberry sauce onto plates. Stand pears upright in center of sauce. Spoon dollops of mascarpone mixture alongside. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.