Pear Mincemeat Dessert Food

PEAR & MINCEMEAT CRUMBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Put pears into a non-stick frying pan with 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp water. Cover, then cook over a medium heat for 10 mins until just tender, stirring every so often. There shouldn't be juices once the pears are cooked. Add the spice; leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter then line the base and sides of a 20cm round, deep cake tin. Put butter, sugar, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt into a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand whisk until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and flour, beat until smooth, then fold in almonds with a spoon. Remove 85g batter and put into a small bowl. Into this add the plain flour and chop into the mix with a cutlery knife to make a soft, crumbly-looking mix.
• Spoon half the cake mix into the tin, top with half the pears, dot over half the mincemeat, then dollop the rest of the cake mix on top. Scatter with remaining pears, mincemeat, then the crumble mix. Sprinkle with final 1 tbsp sugar. Bake for 1½ hrs, covering with foil after 1 hr, until golden, risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then cool on a rack. Keep it in the lining paper, as this will help it stay moist. Will keep, well wrapped in an airtight tin, for 5 days. Freeze for 1 month.

PEAR MINCEMEAT DESSERT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a glass baking dish, place one bartlett pear half, well drained from a tin, for each serving-- place with the cavity up.
• For each pear half, place one tbsp mincemeat (use a good quality product) in a small mixing bowl and add 1/2 tsp brandy for each tbsp of mincemeat; you don't have to use the brandy, though, if you don't want to, or you can substitute another spirit for the brandy (try Grand Marnier, or port).
• Stir brandy and mincemeat together, then place one tbsp into the cavity in each pear half.
• Bake pears for 20 minutes; serve warm, with lots of freshly whipped cream (if your waistline can take it).

MINCEMEAT PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Prepare pastry for a 2-crust, 9 1/2" deep dish pie.
• In large bowl, combine mince, pears, nuts, zest & ginger, then spoon into prepared pie shell.
• Top with 2nd crust, then flute & cut several slits in top.
• Sprinkle with sugar & bake 35-45 minutes, until golden brown.
• If necessary, cover edges with foil to keep from over-browning or burning.