Mulled Wine Pear Pavlova Food

PEAR PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Poach pears: Combine wine, the water, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
• Carefully peel pears, leaving stems intact. Place in pan; cover, and cook, rotating occasionally, until bases of pears are easily pierced with a paring knife, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on ripeness of fruit. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath.
• Using a large slotted spoon, carefully transfer pears to a large metal bowl set in the ice bath. Pour poaching liquid through a fine sieve into bowl with pears; let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight to let pears absorb the poaching liquid.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees with rack in center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an overturned bowl or cake pan as a guide, trace an 8-inch circle on the parchment; turn parchment over, marked side down.
• Make meringue base: Place egg whites, salt, and light-brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed until well combined and no lumps of sugar remain. Increase speed to medium; beat until soft peaks form, about 9 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add superfine sugar. Continue beating until peaks are stiff and glossy, about 2 minutes more. Beat in vinegar and vanilla.
• Using a rubber spatula, spread the meringue into marked 8-inch circle on prepared baking sheet; form peaks around the edge and a well in the center.
• Bake meringue until crisp around the edge and just set in the center, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack until meringue is cool enough to handle. Carefully peel off parchment; let meringue cool completely on rack.
• Make topping: In a small bowl, whip heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Slice pears in half lengthwise; remove seeds and stems with a spoon or melon baller, and discard. Cut pears into 3/4-inch pieces, and place in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
• Bring 3 cups poaching liquid to a boil in a medium saucepan; reduce heat, and simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 1 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare another ice bath. Pour syrup into a clean bowl set in the ice bath; stir frequently until cool and thickened.
• To assemble, carefully place meringue on serving platter. Spoon whipped cream on top, and then add pears. Serve, sliced into wedges and drizzled with syrup.

MULLED WINE PEAR PAVLOVA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Draw a 9-inch circle on the parchment paper by tracing a 9-inch plate. Turn the paper over so the tracing doesn't end up on the Pavlova.
• Place the egg whites and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high until firm, approximately 1 minute. Slowly add the sugar to the egg whites and continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks form, approximately 2-3 minutes. Do not overmix.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and sprinkle the egg white mixture with cornstarch, vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Carefully, fold the ingredients into the egg whites using a rubber spatula. Mound the meringue into the center of the circle on the parchment and spread into a smooth disk. Make a shallow well in the center of the meringue - this will puff up during baking and will ensure you have a marshmallow-y center.
• Bake the meringue for 1 1/2 hours and then turn off the oven. Keeping the oven door closed, allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven for an additional hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
• While the meringue is cooling, bring the wine to a boil. Add the mulling spices and the pears to the wine, then turn the heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the pears from the wine and cool on a plate. Add the sugar to the wine and bring to a boil. Boil the wine until reduced by 1/2, approximately 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• In a medium bowl, beat the remaining vanilla, confectioners' sugar and whipping cream with a hand mixer until soft peaks form, approximately 3-4 minutes.
• To assemble, place the meringue in the middle of a serving plate. Spread the whipping cream over the top of the meringue and then arrange the pears in the center of the whipped cream.
• Drizzle the syrup over the pears and the top of the meringue. Serve immediately.

MULLED SPICED WINE

Steps:

• Bring the wine, port, water, vanilla, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, orange peel or whole orange cut in half, lemon peel or whole lemon cut in half, hibiscus flowers and sugar to a simmer in a nonreactive saucepan.
• Or place in a slow cooker on low for 1-2 hours.
• Simmer the mixture slowly for 15 minutes.
• Strain and place into Heat resistant punch bowl or keep in crock pot and keep on low.
• Place 1 blanched almond and several raisins or fresh cranberries in the bottom of each punch glass.
• Pour the warm wine mixture over and serve.

AUTUMN PEARS IN MULLED WINE

Steps:

• Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) from orange, forming long spiral strip. Transfer peel to heavy large pot. Halve orange; squeeze juice into pot. Add next 5 ingredients. Boil over high heat 3 minutes. Add pears, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until pears are tender, turning pears occasionally, about 45 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to large bowl. Simmer liquid uncovered in pot until reduced to 4 cups, about 10 minutes. Pour liquid over pears; cool. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Place 1 pear in each of 6 shallow bowls. Pour liquid over pears and serve.

MULLED WINE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first 6 ingredients. Place remaining spices on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Gather corners of cloth to enclose spices; tie securely with string. Place in pan., Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer gently, covered, 20 minutes. Transfer to a covered container; cool slightly. Refrigerate, covered, overnight., Strain wine mixture into a large saucepan, discarding fruit and spice bag; reheat. Serve warm. Garnish as desired.

PECAN TOFFEE MERINGUE WITH MULLED PEARS

Steps:

• Put the wine, pears and sugar in a pan and simmer for 10 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C/gas 3. Draw a 25cm circle on a sheet of baking parchment, then put on a baking sheet. Stir 225g sugar and cornflour together in a jug. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the sugar mixture, a tbsp at a time, until thick and glossy.
• Fold in vinegar and half the nuts, then pile mixture onto the circle, building up the edges to make a 'nest'. Scatter with rest of pecans then put in oven, turning the temperature down to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Bake for 1 hr, then turn oven off and cool inside for 1 hr.

MULLED WHITE WINE WITH PEAR BRANDY

Steps:

• 1. Put the wine in a medium heavy saucepan with the star anise, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and honey (start with 3 tablespoons and adjust later if necessary). Set the pan over medium heat and bring just to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let the wine mull for at least 15 minutes.
• 2. Taste and add more honey if you like. Gently reheat the wine until it starts to steam, then turn off the heat and stir in the brandy.
• 3. Divide among 4 mugs or heatproof glasses, putting a few of the whole spices in each mug if you like, and add a slice of Asian pear. Toddy away!