Treat your holiday guests to ripe pears cloaked in sweet pastry set atop a pool of rich caramel sauce. Add an Italian accent with a scoop of vanilla gelato and an elegant flourish of Italian gold leaf.
Indeed, Italians’ expertise with gilding goes far beyond the world of architecture and interior design. It extends to the kitchen where everything from risotto to desserts are elevated from the world of the everyday by a garnish worth its weight in gold. Your guests will talk about this dessert all through the holidays and into the new year.
Pears in Puff Pastry
serves 4
I usually enrobe the fruit in a sweet pastry, but frozen puff pastry, purchased at the supermarket, is a fast and elegant shortcut. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, and you are good to go. These pears are best eaten right after baking.
• 4 Bartlett pears, ripe, but firm
• 1 lemon, cut in half
• 1 package puff pastry
• Caramel Sauce
• vanilla gelato
• Edible gold leaf for decoration
• Glaze
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 large egg yolk
Clear refrigerator space large enough to accommodate a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Peel the pears, leaving the stem intact. Remove and discard ½ inch of the core from the bottom of each pear. If necessary, trim the bottom of the pears so that they will stand up. Drizzle lemon juice over the pears to prevent oxidation, and refrigerate while you prepare the dough.
Lightly beat the egg yolk and heavy cream in a small bowl to make a glaze. Remove thawed puff pastry from the refrigerator 10 minutes before rolling. Lightly flour the counter and rolling pin. Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness.
Remove the pears from the refrigerator and pat dry. Cut a round or rectangle of dough large enough to cover the pears, about 6 to 8 inches across, depending on the size and height of each pear. Cut a small hole in the center of the dough.
Drape the dough over the pear, sliding the stem through the hole in the center. Pleat the dough 3 or 4 times, pressing it gently against the outline of the pear. Gather the dough, tucking it beneath the pear, and place on the Silpat-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pears. Cut small pastry leaves, 2 or 3 per pear, using a leaf cutter or paring knife. Cut veins in the leaves with a paring knife. Paint the egg glaze on the pears with a pastry brush. Position 2 leaves against each pear near the stem, vein sides visible. Paint the leaves with the glaze. Refrigerate thirty minutes.
Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the pears from the refrigerator, and paint pears and leaves again with egg glaze. Bake on the center rack until golden, about 35-40 minutes.
Pour the warm caramel sauce onto the center of the serving plate, allowing it to pool. Place a warm pear atop the sauce and serve, adding vanilla ice cream and edible gold leaf.
Caramel Sauce
makes about 1 cup
The sauce may be cooled and refrigerated 1 week, well covered. To warm before use, bring an inch or two of water to a gentle simmer in a skillet. Place the caramel, in a heatproof bowl, in the simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel sauce has warmed and thinned. Avoid sloshing water into the bowl of caramel. Exercise caution when working with caramel. The sugar mixture will rise to well over 300 degrees F. Do not leave pan unattended, and have a bowl of ice water nearby and plunge your hand into it should you be splattered with hot caramel.
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• ½ cup heavy cream, warm
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 4 pieces
Pour the granulated sugar into a 4-quart heavy bottom saucepan with high sides. Add the water and corn syrup. Stir gently with a heat-proof spatula to combine, being careful not to splash the sides of the pan.
Heat over medium until the sugar has completely dissolved, giving an occasional gentle stir. Once the sugar has dissolved completely, increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Continue cooking until the sugar has begun to color, swirling the pan occasionally to promote even heating. Cook about 7 to 8 minutes, until the mixture takes on a deep amber color and just begins to smoke. Remove the pan from the heat.
Slowly add the warm cream, stirring with a long-handled spatula. The cream may sputter and bubble. If the caramel hardens or partially thickens, place the pan over a low flame and stir gently to soften and blend. Add the butter and combine well. Transfer to a heat-proof pitcher or measuring cup to cool.
Cook’s notes: To use gold leaf in food or beverages, you must purchase food grade edible gold leaf. It is supplied either in rectangular sheets, flakes, and powder form and is available from MarketHallFoods.com and baking supply shops.
For a step by step lesson and more variations on this dessert visit AdriBarrCrocetti.com and search on the word Pears.
Questions? Email me at adri@adribarrcrocetti.com
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