Pear And Raisin Charlotte Food

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 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.

PEAR AND RAISIN CHARLOTTE

Steps:

• Use some of the softened butter to lightly coat a five- to six-cup charlotte mold, souffle dish or deep round baking dish. Put the raisins in a dish and add the rum.
• Melt the remaining softened butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add the pears and sugar and cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until the pears have softened almost to a puree and most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Stir in vanilla, the raisins and rum. Continue cooking over low heat another 10 minutes or so, until the mixture forms a thick puree. Adjust sweetening to taste. Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut eight of the bread slices in half to form rectangles and the rest in half diagonally. Heat some of the clarified butter in a skillet and saute the pieces of bread until they are golden brown on one side only, adding more butter as needed.
• Fit the triangles, sauteed side down, in the bottom of the baking dish so they fit exactly. Trim away any excess and reserve. Arrange the rectangles, sauteed side out, around the sides of the dish, overlapping slightly. Fill the center with the pear mixture and, if necessary, trim the bread rectangles to be level with the fruit. Scatter all trimmings on top.
• Cover the top with foil and bake about 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for an hour. Unmold the charlotte. Serve with whipped cream, creme fraiche or custard sauce.

PEAR AND RAISIN CRUMBLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix pears, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons crushed cookies, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Mix in raisins.
• Using fingertips, press together flour, butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in large bowl until moist clumps form. Mix in 4 tablespoons crushed cookies and nuts.
• Drop topping evenly over filling. Bake until juices bubble thickly and topping is brown, about 40 minutes.

PEAR RAISIN CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a baking sheet, and toast until lightly browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
• In a small saucepan, combine raisins with 2 tablespoons vinegar and 2 tablespoons water. Place over medium-high heat until simmering. Simmer until raisins have plumped, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, and saute until lightly browned and transparent, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar, and continue to cook until golden brown. Add pears and reserved raisins in their liquid; cook until pears are tender. Add remaining 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in rosemary and reserved toasted pecans. Serve warm.

PEAR FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Place pears on their sides in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; arrange oranges and raisins around pears. In a small bowl, combine the water, brown sugar and salt. Pour over fruit; dot with butter., Cover and bake at 325° for 55-65 minutes or until pears are tender, basting occasionally. Halve and core pears; top with fruit mixture.

RAISIN PEAR CHUTNEY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring vinegar and brown sugar to a boil. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until chutney reaches desired consistency., Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

SPICED PEAR AND RAISIN PIE

Steps:

• Position rack in lowest third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Boil nectar in heavy medium saucepan until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Pour into large bowl; mix in raisins. Cool completely. Mix in sugar and next 5 ingredients, then pears.
• Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Brush inside and top edge of crust with some of glaze. Spoon filling into crust. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 13-inch round. Arrange dough over filling. Seal top crust to bottom crust at edge of dish. Trim double overhang to 3/4 inch. Fold under; crimp edge. Using small knife, cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush crust and edge with glaze. If desired, roll out any dough scraps and cut out small pear-shaped decorations. Press decorations onto edge of crust.
• Bake pie until pears are tender, covering crust with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Place on rack; cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

PEAR AND RAISIN DELIGHT

Steps:

• Spread pear slices with cream cheese spread.
• Top with raisins and nuts.