Pear Tart With Vanilla Creme Anglaise Food

SPICED VANILLA PEAR TART WITH ALMOND WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Press pie crust firmly and up the sides of a 10-inch tart baking pan or a 9 inch pie plate. Line crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil and add pie weight or dried beans. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights. Bake for another 6 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely while you prepare the filling. Peel, core and chop 3 medium-sized Comice pears, set aside. Combine 1 cup sour cream and 3/4 cup half and half in a large bowl; beat until smooth. Whisk in pudding mix. Add 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, continuing to beat. Gently fold in the chopped pears. Pour the pudding mixture into prepared pie crust. Cover; refrigerate several hours (at least 3) or overnight. Just before serving, preheat broiler. Peel the final pear, and cut into thin slices. Arrange in a pattern in the center of the pudding mixture. Combine 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/8 tsp. cloves in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over pears. Rim the edges of the tart with the 1/3 cup of chopped pecans. Broil 4 to 6 minutes or just until the sugar is melted and begins to crystalize, watching carefully not to burn the sugar. Prepare the whipped topping: Add 1 cup heavy cream, 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract and 1 Tbsp confectioners sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on low. Gradually increase the speed until soft peaks begin to form. Serve the pear tart immediately with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of mint, if desired. TIP: To easily peel pears, submerge the pears in a large pot of boiling water for about 10-15 seconds then place into a large bowl of ice cold water. Using your fingers, gently rub the pear skin from each pear.

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 TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Beat butter, sugar and cinnamon until crumbly. Beat in flour and walnuts. Press onto bottom and up sides of a 9-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom coated with cooking spray., For filling, beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Spread into crust. Arrange pears over top. Mix cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over pears., Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350°; bake until filling is set, 15-20 minutes. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

PEAR TART WITH VANILLA CREME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until light golden and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely, then finely grind in a food processor. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add almonds, egg, cream, and extract; beat until well combined, about 2 minutes.
• Using a small offset spatula, spread filling in cooled tart shell. Arrange pear slices, overlapping them slightly, on top of filling. Generously sprinkle with sugar; place tart on a baking sheet. Bake until filling is slightly puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with creme anglaise on the side.

VANILLA-BEAN CREME ANGLAISE FOR PEAR TART

Steps:

• Prepare an ice bath, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt on high speed until pale yellow and very thick. Set aside.
• Scrape the vanilla seeds into a small saucepan, and add bean, milk, and cream. Bring just to a boil. Remove from heat.
• On low speed, gradually pour half the hot milk mixture into yolk mixture, then pour yolk mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of spoon and hold a line drawn by your finger, about 5 minutes. Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Place bowl in prepared ice bath, stirring occasionally, until chilled. Use immediately, or refrigerate, covered, up to 3 days. Gently whisk before using.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE TART WITH CREME ANGLAISE AND VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
• In a heavy saucepan, add milk, vanilla beans, and cassia sticks tied in a loose knot and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Concurrently, in a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together. When the milk reaches a simmer, whisk in 1 cup of the hot milk to the egg mixture. Whisk this mix back to the hot milk, reduce heat to low and constantly stir with a wooden spoon.
• When mixture thickens enough to coat the back the wooden spoon and a line drawn with your finger holds it shape (about 12 to 15 minutes), immediately strain through a chinoise (fine sieve) into another bowl (a little smaller than the ice bath bowl) and place in ice bath. Stir occasionally to cool down. If there are any vanilla beans left on the pods, scrape into the anglaise. Stir to incorporate and chill sauce until ready to use.Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a food processor fitted with a blade. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal, there should be pieces of butter. Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing the processor. Only add enough water until the dough just holds together (about 3 to 4 tablespoons). Wrap in plastic and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Vanilla Ice Cream: Freeze according to machine?s instructions.
• Bittersweet Chocolate Tart: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about 9-inch diameter. Use an 8-inch false bottom tart pan and carefully place dough into the pan. Work the dough into the corners and prick with a fork. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Fill pan with pie weights, rice or beans and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough becomes very light tan. Pull pan out of the oven and let cool at room temperature.
• For the filling, bring the cream to a simmer. Pull off of the heat and add the chocolate. When chocolate is completely melted, mix well, and let cool in the refrigerator. When chocolate mixture is cold, pull out of the refrigerator and whisk in the eggs just until incorporated. Pour into the tart shell and bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. It should still tremble in the center when lightly shaken. Let tart cool on a rack before demolding. Garnish with powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
• On a large plate, garnish the rim of the plate with powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Ladle a small pool of creme anglaise. Place a slice of the tart off of the side and place 1 scoop of ice cream next to it. For the ultimate, make individual tarts.

DRIED-FRUIT TART WITH BRANDIED CRèME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough 1/8 inch thick (about an 11-inch round). Fit dough into an 8-inch tart pan with a removable fluted rim and trim edge. With a fork prick bottom of shell all over. Chill shell 30 minutes, or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice. Bake shell in middle of oven 20 minutes. Carefully remove weights or rice and foil and bake shell until golden, 8 to 10 minutes more. Cool shell in pan on a rack.
• Make dried-fruit mixture:
• In a heavy saucepan simmer water with sugar and vanilla bean, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Halve apricots and add to syrup with prunes and cherries. Simmer mixture 10 minutes and pour through a sieve into a 2-cup glass measure (you will have about 1 2/3 cups syrup). Reserve fruit and vanilla bean.
• In a food processor purée 1/2 cup reserved fruit and 2 tablespoons syrup until smooth. Spread purée evenly over bottom of tart shell and arrange remaining fruit on top. In a cup sprinkle gelatin over cold water to soften 1 minute. In a small saucepan boil 1/2 cup remaining syrup until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Remove pan from heat and add gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved completely, and with a pastry brush brush glaze on fruit. Reserve remaining cup syrup for crème anglaise.
• Make crème anglaise:
• Have ready a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan combine cream and reserved cup syrup. Split reserved vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into pan. Discard vanilla bean. Bring mixture just to a boil and remove pan from heat. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Add hot cream mixture to yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer mixture to cleaned pan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until slightly thickened and a thermometer registers 170° F. (Do not let custard boil.) Pour custard through a fine sieve into metal bowl set in bowl of ice water. Cool crème anglaise completely and stir in brandy. (Crème anglaise may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.)
• Serve tart with crème anglaise.

POACHED PEARS WITH CREME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• To make the creme anglaise, rinse the inside of a non aluminum saucepan with water and shake out the excess.
• Pour in the milk and place over medium-low heat until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the whole eggs, egg yolk, and sugar; whisk just until blended.
• Gradually whisk in half of the hot milk, then pour the egg mixture back into the pan.
• Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, leaving a clear trail when your finger is drawn through it, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in the vanilla.
• Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and let cool.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 2 days.
• Julienne the zest from the lemon and set aside (reserve the lemon for the juice).
• With an apple corer or a small, sharp knife, carefully core each pear from the bottom.
• Trim the bottoms so they stand upright.
• Leaving the stems intact, peel the pears.
• In a large non aluminum stockpot, combine the pomegranate juice, brown sugar, lemon zest, juice from the reserved lemon and cinnamon stick.
• Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to simmer.
• Place pears on their sides in the liquid and cook, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, seed the pomegranates by cutting them in half (careful, the juice can stain).
• Fill a large bowl with cool water.
• Holding the cut fruit under the water, peel back the skin and membrane to release the seeds, allowing them to sink to the bottom of the bowl.
• Discard peels and membrane; drain and reserve the seeds.
• Carefully turn the pears over and cook until a small knife can be inserted easily into the bottom of the pear, 10 or 15 minutes longer.
• Once the pears are done, remove them from the cooking liquid and stand upright on individual serving plates.
• Remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
• Pour about 2 cups of the poaching liquid into a small saucepan; simmer over medium-low heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Mix orange liqueur and cornstarch together in a small bowl.
• Gradually whisk the orange liqueur mixture into the reduced poaching liquid; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring until the sauce thickens to a glaze, about 10 minutes.
• Pour a little of the glaze over each pear, then spread some of the creme anglaise around the bottoms of each one.
• Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and garnish with a mint sprig.
• Serve the remaining glaze alongside.