Pear And Fig Pie In A Jar W Mascarpone Cream Food

GLAZED FIGS WITH MASCARPONE CREAM

Steps:

• For the cream: In an electric mixer whip the mascarpone until smooth. Continue whipping and slowly add the cream in a steady stream. Add the sugar and whip for 3 minutes.
• For the figs: In a small pot combine the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and zest.
• Boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Toss the figs with the glaze and spread, cut side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Cook under the broiler for 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly caramelized. Serve the warm figs with the mascarpone cream and toasted walnuts.

PEAR AND FIG TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven for 350°F.
• Roll out pie-crust dough and place inside a lightly greased and floured tart pan. Push dough against edges and into the corners of pan; remove and discard excess.
• Spread chèvre evenly across the bottom.In a small mixing bowl, toss pears, figs, honey, oil, rosemary and salt.
• Using your hands, arrange pears and figs over chèvre, first layering pears along the outer edge and adding figs as you move inward. Brush entire top of tart with remaining honey-herb mixture; sprinkle Feta on top.
• Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
• Let cool. Remove from pan, garnish with more Feta, cut into slices and serve.

HONEY-POACHED PEARS WITH MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Toss pears with lemon juice in large bowl. Set aside. Combine 1 cup water, wine and honey in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over medium heat until honey dissolves. Add pears. Cover mixture with round piece of parchment paper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pears are just tender when pierced, turning when half-way through cooking, about 15 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to large bowl. Boil poaching liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Cool syrup. Pour syrup over pears. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove vanilla bean.
• Whisk mascarpone cheese, sugar and brandy in large bowl until smooth. Add 1/4 cup chilled poaching syrup and whisk until soft peaks form.
• Thinly slice each pear half lengthwise, leaving slices attached at stem end. Using metal spatula, transfer pears to plates. Gently press on pears to fan slightly. Spoon some syrup over pears. Spoon mascarpone cream alongside each pear half and serve.

BAKED VANILLA PEARS WITH FIGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and set one half aside. Scrape seeds from other half into a small saucepan, and add the pod, 1/4 cup sugar, and the water. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes to infuse vanilla flavor into syrup. Strain and set aside.
• Peel pears, and cut in half lengthwise, leaving stems on. Cut out core, scooping out a little extra flesh. Trim off a little flesh on round side so that halves will lie nicely on a plate.
• In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and stir until melted. Add pears, cut side down, and cook until brown, shaking pan occasionally. Turn over and cook a few minutes more. Transfer to a baking dish, and pour vanilla syrup over pears. Add other half of vanilla bean. Slice figs lengthwise and put 1 or 2 slices in center of each pear. Spoon a little syrup over figs and bake until soft and tender, about 30 minutes, depending on ripeness of pears. Serve hot or warm.

BRANDIED PEAR, PRUNE AND FIG PIE

Steps:

• For Crust: Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in butter and cream cheese until coarse meal forms. With machine running, pour just enough water down feed tube to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead.)
• For Filling: Mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Mix in pears, prunes and figs. Sprinkle brandy over and mix well. Let stand 15 minutes to allow juices to form.
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 400° F. Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 14-inch-diameter round. Transfer to 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish; gently press dough into place. Spoon filling into crust, mounding slightly in center. Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 14-inch-diameter round. Drape dough over filling. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Press edges together to seal and fold under. Crimp edge decoratively. Brush top of crust (but not edge) with glaze. Cut several small slits in crust to allow steam to escape.
• Bake pie until crust is golden brown and pears are tender when pierced through steam vents, about 50 minutes. Cool slightly and serve.

SPICED BAKED FIGS WITH GINGER MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lay the figs in an ovenproof roasting dish, dot over the butter and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle over the sugar and cinnamon, then pour over the orange juice and mix lightly. Nestle the star anise amongst the figs and roast for 15-20 minutes.
• When ready to serve, mix the ginger and syrup through the mascarpone. Place 4 fig halves, drizzled with syrup, on a plate with a dollop of mascarpone and some shortbread fingers.

PEAR-AND-FIG PIE-IN-A-JAR W/ MASCARPONE CREAM

Steps:

• 1. Make the pastry: In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse in 1-second birsts until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine the ice water and apple cider vinegar and drizzle it on top. Pulse in 1-second bursts until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather up any crumbs and pat into 2 disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 mins. 2. On a floured work surface, roll out 1 disk of the dough to a 12-in square. Cut into quarters and ease each piece of dough into a wide-mouth 1.2 pint jar. Repeat with remaining dough. Fridge until chilled, about 15 mins. 3. Preheat the oven to 350. Set the jars on a sutrdy baking sheet and line each crust with foil, pressing it to the edges. Fill with pie weights or dried beans, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights. Press our any bubbles and bake the cursts for about 30 mins longer, until golden brown and cooked through. Let cool. 4. Meanwhile, Make the Filling: In a large saucepan, combine figs, pears, apple cider, eau-de-vie, honey, lemon zest & juice, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and salt and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until the figs are plumped and pears are tender, about 20 mins. Strain the poaching liquid into a heatproof bowl. Discard lemon zest. Set the fruit aside. Return the liquid to the saucepan and boil until it is reduced to a thick syrup, about 12 mins. 5. Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast for about 7 mins, until fragrant. Let cool, then coarsely chop the nuts. 6. Make the Mascarpone Cream: In a bowl, whisk the mascarpone with the creme fraiche, honey, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. 7. Assemble the Pies: Drizzle 1/2 the pear-fig syrup into the pie crusts. Top with half the mascarpone cream followed by all of the fruit and the remaining cream. Garnish with the pear slices, walnuts, remaining syrup and serve.