Spiced Pears With Oranges And Caramel Sauce Food

SPICED PEARS WITH ORANGES AND CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Using melon baller and starting from bottom, core each pear. Cut thin slice off bottom of each pear to make level.
• Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup is deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat; whisk in butter, then 2 tablespoons water.
• Stand pears in caramel sauce in saucepan. Sprinkle cinnamon over. Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with ras-el-hanout. Cover and continue to cook until pears are tender, occasionally spooning caramel sauce over pears and shaking pan so pears don't stick, about 15 minutes. Arrange orange slices around pears; spoon caramel sauce over. Cover and simmer until orange slices soften, about 5 minutes.
• Place orange slices on plates. Stand pears atop orange slices. Spoon caramel sauce over and sprinkle with almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• *A Moroccan spice blend available at some specialty foods stores and Middle Eastern markets, and by mail from The Spice House (312-274-0378; thespicehouse.com).

ROASTED PEARS WITH SALT AND PEPPER CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For the pears: Peel the pears if desired. Cut the pears in half and scoop out the cores. Cut each half in half again.
• Arrange the pear pieces cut-side down in a large saute pan. Dot the butter all around the pears and place the pan over medium heat. Cook, occasionally swirling the pan but not stirring, until the pears are lightly browned and the butter begins to sizzle, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle the cinnamon and fennel seeds over the pears, then gently stir and baste the pears with the butter and spices. Continue to cook just until the pears are tender, then add the vanilla and gently stir to incorporate. Keep the pears warm until ready to serve.
• For the caramel sauce: Stir together the granulated sugar, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat, swirling the mixture occasionally (do not stir). If you notice crystals forming around the edge of the pan, wipe the inside of the pot with a pastry brush moistened with water.
• Cook the sugar mixture at a simmer until it has turned deep brown and registers between 330 and 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter, salt and pepper until completely incorporated. Carefully add the heavy cream. Reserve warm, or refrigerate until ready to serve. (Keeps up to 4 weeks, refrigerated in an airtight container.)
• For the whipped creme fraiche: In a clean bowl, beat together the heavy cream, creme fraiche, confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract with an electric mixer or by hand until stiff peaks form. Reserve chilled until ready to serve.
• Arrange the pears on a platter. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce, then top with a couple dollops of the whipped creme fraiche. Serve with additional caramel sauce and whipped creme fraiche on the side.

SPICED ORANGES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a 4 cup glass measuring cup combine the brown sugar, heavy cream and light corn syrup. Set aside in microwave until later.
• To cut oranges into supremes: remove rind and pith. Over a bowl to catch the juices, cut in between skins to release supremes. Squeeze juice from skins over supremes and toss with a bit of cardamom to taste. Set supremes in 4 dessert bowls.
• When ready to eat microwave brown sugar mixture, uncovered at full power for 2 minutes. Whisk to blend, and cook 1 minute more until a bit thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Immediately pour over oranges and garnish with pistachios. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a week. To soften, microwave 30 seconds to a minute, uncovered.

ROASTED PEARS WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in a baking pan large enough to hold the pears in a single layer: set in the heating oven until it melts.
• Sprinkle sugar over melted butter, then place pears, cut side down, on top. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven, turn pears over and baste with pan sauce. Return to oven; bake until golden and glossy, about 10 minutes longer.
• Let cool slightly. Transfer pears to dessert plates or bowls. Top each with dollop of sour cream, drizzle with caramel pan sauce, sprinkle with nuts and serve.

POACHED PEARS WITH SPICED CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Poach pears:
• Remove zest of oranges in strips with a vegetable peeler and cut away any white pith from strips. Squeeze juice from oranges and lemon into a 6-quart pot and add lemon halves, water, granulated sugar, and zest. Peel pears, leaving stems attached, and add to pot.
• Simmer pears 15 to 25 minutes, or until just tender, and cool in liquid. (Poached pears will continue to cook a bit as they cool.)
• Make caramel:
• Put granulated sugar in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and crumble brown sugar over. Melt sugars, undisturbed, over moderate heat until granulated sugar is mostly melted. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until a deep golden caramel. Carefully pour in cream (mixture will bubble up and caramel will harden slightly) and stir in clove, cardamom pods, fennel, peppercorns, and cinnamon sticks. Simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1‚ cups, about 10 minutes. Pour sauce through a sieve into a 2-cup measure and cool to just warm.
• Assemble dessert:
• Drain pears and pat dry, then transfer to plates. Serve drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with chopped nuts.

SALT ROASTED PEARS WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Arrange the pears upright in an 8" ceramic dish that is 4 inches deep. Cover pears with salt, allowing stems to stick out. Bake until pears are tender when pricked with a fork, 60 to 75 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush a couple of times to prevent crystals from forming. Let boil, swirling the pan occasionally, until medium amber. Remove from heat, and carefully stir in butter and cream (watch out for steaming and splattering!).
• Remove pears from the salt, letting a small amount to cling to each pear. Place each pear on a serving plate. Pour caramel sauce over top, and serve. Enjoy!

CHAI-POACHED PEARS WITH SPICY ORANGE SAUCE AND HOMEMADE GRANOLA

Steps:

• Mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, honey, juice and zest of 1 orange, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili flakes, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat for the sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and bring sauce to a very low simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine 3/4 cup walnuts, 3/4 cup pecans, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground, 15 to 20 seconds.
• Heat a skillet over to medium-high heat and melt coconut oil. Chop remaining 1/4 cup walnuts and pecans. Add chopped nuts and oats to the hot oil. Toast, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add ground nut mixture and mix until combined. Allow to toast until sugar begins to melt, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in honey and vanilla extract. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the skillet, mixing a couple times as it cools.
• Bring water to a boil in a large pot, add tea bags, remove from heat, cover, and brew tea for 8 minutes. Remove tea bags and discard. Stir 1/4 cup brown sugar into chai.
• Bring tea/water to a boil again over high heat, add pears, reduce heat, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Gently rotate pears with a spoon (pears will be soft - you don't want to puncture the skin) and continue to simmer another 15 minutes. For a stronger spice flavor, leave pears soaking in the chai for an additional 10 to 15 minutes with the heat off.
• To serve, place a heaping spoonful of coconut yogurt into the hole of the pear. Top with granola and drizzle with orange sauce. Garnish with orange zest.

SALT-ROASTED PEARS WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the pears upright in an 8-inch ceramic dish that is 4 inches deep. Cover pears with salt, allowing stems to stick out. Bake until pears are tender when pricked with a fork, 60 to 75 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush several times to prevent crystals from forming. Let boil, swirling pan occasionally, until medium amber. Remove from heat, and carefully stir in butter and cream (the caramel will steam and spatter).
• Remove pears from the salt, allowing a small amount to cling to each pear. Place each pear on a serving plate. Pour caramel sauce over top, and serve.

ROASTED PEARS WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place butter in a baking pan large enough to hold the pears in a single layer.
• Set baking pan with butter in the heating oven until the butter melts.
• Sprinkle sugar over melted butter.
• Place pears, cut side down, on top.
• Bake until tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Turn over pears and baste with pan sauce.
• Return to oven.
• Bake until golden and glossy, about 10 minutes.
• Let cool slightly.
• Transfer pears to dessert plates or bowls.
• Top each with a dollop of sour cream, drizzle with caramel pan sauce, sprinkle with nuts.
• Serve and enjoy!