Swiss Caramel Pears With Cheese Covering Food

PEARS IN HONEY AND PINE NUT CARAMEL WITH ARTISANAL CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook unsalted butter in large nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat until beginning to brown. Add pear halves, cut side down, to skillet. Drizzle honey over pears and swirl pan slightly to blend butter and honey. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until pears are tender when pierced with paring knife, swirling skillet occasionally and adding a few tablespoons water to skillet if caramel sauce turns deep amber before pears are tender, about 12 minutes.
• Transfer pears, cut side up, to serving platter. Top pears with cheese. Return skillet with caramel sauce to medium-high heat; add pine nuts to skillet and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Cook until sauce in skillet is brown and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Spoon sauce over pears and serve.
• WHAT TO DRINK:
• Finish this meal on a sweet note with a late-harvest dessert wine. The honeyed pear and quince flavors of the 2006 "Le Vol des Anges" ($30) from California's Bonny Doon Vineyard are perfect with this dessert. Plus, the Roussanne grapes the wine is made from are produced using biodynamic practices.

CARAMELIZED PEARS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, combine brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes. Add pears; cook and stir until pears are tender, 5-10 minutes longer. Serve over ice cream if desired.

BROILED PEAR AND SWISS CHEESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Toast bread.
• Place a cheese slice on each piece of toast.
• Arrange sliced pears on cheese.
• Mix sugar and cinnamon.
• Sprinkle on pears.
• Broil 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Serve hot.

GRILLED PEAR AND SWISS CHEESE

Steps:

• Brush one side of each bead slice with butter.
• Place on a work surface, buttered side down.
• Spread 4 bread slices equally with honey mustard.
• Top 4 slices equally with pears, arugula and cheese.
• Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up, and press together gently.
• Place sandwiches on preheated panini grill or in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, turning once if using a skillet, for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.
• Serve immediately.

CARAMELIZED PEARS WITH BLUE CHEESE AND CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the water in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and pour the sugar into the center of the pan, taking care not to let the crystals adhere to the sides of the pan.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is bubbling wildly.
• Add the pears to the skillet, cut-side down, cover, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook until the pears are nearly tender (a paring knife inserted into the center of the pears feels slight resistance), 13 to 15 minutes.
• Uncover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the sauce is golden brown and the cut sides of the pears are partly caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour the salt and heavy cream around the pears and cook, shaking the pan back and forth, until the sauce is a smooth, deep caramel color and the cut sides of the pears are beautifully golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and using tongs, carefully remove the pears from the pan and place cut-side up on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
• Cool slightly.
• Pour the sauce remaining in the pan into a liquid measuring cup.
• Carefully (the pears will still be hot) stand each pear half upright on an individual plate and arrange a wedge of the blue cheese beside it.
• Drizzle the plate and some of the pear with the caramel sauce.
• Serve immediately.

CARAMEL PEAR

Steps:

• In a martini shaker filled with ice, combine the vodka, juice and simple syrup. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a slice of pear.
• In a pot combine the sugar, water, and spices. Bring up to a simmer, stirring occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture thorough a strainer and discard the whole spices.

CREPES WITH ROSEMARY SEARED PEARS AND SPREADABLE SWISS CHEESE

Steps:

• Crepes: In a blender, add all of the ingredients and blend for 20 seconds. Refrigerate the crepe mixture for about 1 hour, but you can store the batter, refrigerated, for about 2 days.
• Coat a small nonstick pan with butter. Pour a small amount (but enough to thinly cover pan) of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread it evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Filling: Put a medium pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Melt butter with the sprig of rosemary. Allow the butter to infuse with the rosemary by letting it cook for about 2 minutes, removing from heat periodically to prevent browning. After the rosemary is fragrant, remove the sprig form the pan, and set aside. Put the pear, chopped rosemary, and brown sugar in the pan and saute for about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• Spread the Swiss cheese generously on half of a crepe. Then pour some of the pear filling over the cheese. Fold the crepe in half, like a sandwich. Then fold again in quarters, to make a triangular shape. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling. Arrange the crepes on a platter, and garnish with the whole rosemary sprig. Serve hot.

CARAMEL PEARS

Steps:

• Microwave 10 ounces unwrapped soft caramels with 1 tablespoon half-and-half, stirring every 20 seconds, until smooth. Pour into a wide mug, then quickly dip 4 pears in the caramel, sprinkle with chopped pistachios and let set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

CARAMEL PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275°. Peel and core pears and fill the cavities with raisins. Mix honey with water and pour into a baking dish just large enough to accomodate the pears in a single layer. Pour in half the sugar in an even layer, arrange pears on the sugar and cover with remaining sugar. Bake for 3 hours, turning the fruit occasionally, until the pears and syrup are caramel colored. Ladle into hot, sterilized preserving jars, cover and seal.

GRILLED PEAR AND SWISS CHEESE

Steps:

• Brush one side of each bread slice with butter. Spread 4 of the slices with honey butter.
• Top with pears, arugula and cheese. Top with remaining bread slices.
• Grill 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.

PEAR-TOPPED CARAMEL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, dulce de leche and cornstarch. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Arrange pears over top; sprinkle with ginger., Bake at 325° for 65-75 minutes or until center is just set and top of cheesecake appears dull. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan.

SWISS PEARS

Steps:

• Whip cream until thick, add sugar and continue to whip until thick.
• Drain pears well.
• Melt chocolate with reserved syrup.
• Put pears in a large bowl, a glass bowl makes a nice presentation.
• Cover pears with whipped cream.
• Cool chocolate mixture, then pour or spoon chocolate carefully over whipped cream.
• Chill well.

SWISS PEAR SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Spread two slices of bread with mustard. Layer each with the cheese, pear and onion slices and pecans; top with remaining cheese and bread. , Place the sandwiches on a microwave-safe plate. Cover and microwave on high for 20-30 seconds or until cheese is melted.

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.