Saturday, October 28, 2006
Desserts: Baked Pears on Puff Pastry with Caramel Sauce
For pastry bases:
¼ c. sugar
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
For pears and sauce:
2 large firm, ripe pears (I like Bosc but others are fine so long as they are firm & ripe)
2 T. unsalted butter, cut into bits
½ c. sugar
1 T. fresh lemon juice
½ c. heavy cream
Make pastry bases:
Preheat oven to 375 and lightly butter a heavy baking sheet.
Sprinkle a work surface with sugar and roll out puff pastry about 1/8 inch thick, turning once to coat both sides with sugar. Cut dough into 4 rectangles and transfer to baking sheet. Prick pastry all over with a fork and put baking sheet in freezer until pastry is chilled well, about 15 minutes.
Lightly butter bottom of another heavy baking sheet and put directly on top of pastry rectangles to weight them while baking. Bake pastry in middle of oven 25-35 minutes or until golden brown, and transfer to a rack to cool. (Pastry bases may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container).
Make pears and sauce:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (if bases have been made ahead) and lightly butter a small baking dish just large enough to hold 4 pear halves in one layer.
Peel, halve and core pears. Arrange pear halves in baking dish, cut sides up. Divide butter among pear cavities and sprinkle ¼ c. sugar over pears. Sprinkle lemon juice over pears and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven and turn pears so that cut sides are down. Baste pears with cooking juices and return to oven. Bake pears until tender, about 15 minutes more. Transfer pears to a plate and keep warm.
Transfer cooking juices to a small heavy saucepan. Add remaining ¼ c. sugar and boil, swirling pan, until mixture turns a deep golden caramel. Slowly add cream (caramel will bubble up) and simmer sauce, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle each pastry base with confectioner’s sugar and top with a pear half. Serve baked pears with caramel sauce.
Serves 4.
¼ c. sugar
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
For pears and sauce:
2 large firm, ripe pears (I like Bosc but others are fine so long as they are firm & ripe)
2 T. unsalted butter, cut into bits
½ c. sugar
1 T. fresh lemon juice
½ c. heavy cream
Make pastry bases:
Preheat oven to 375 and lightly butter a heavy baking sheet.
Sprinkle a work surface with sugar and roll out puff pastry about 1/8 inch thick, turning once to coat both sides with sugar. Cut dough into 4 rectangles and transfer to baking sheet. Prick pastry all over with a fork and put baking sheet in freezer until pastry is chilled well, about 15 minutes.
Lightly butter bottom of another heavy baking sheet and put directly on top of pastry rectangles to weight them while baking. Bake pastry in middle of oven 25-35 minutes or until golden brown, and transfer to a rack to cool. (Pastry bases may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container).
Make pears and sauce:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (if bases have been made ahead) and lightly butter a small baking dish just large enough to hold 4 pear halves in one layer.
Peel, halve and core pears. Arrange pear halves in baking dish, cut sides up. Divide butter among pear cavities and sprinkle ¼ c. sugar over pears. Sprinkle lemon juice over pears and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven and turn pears so that cut sides are down. Baste pears with cooking juices and return to oven. Bake pears until tender, about 15 minutes more. Transfer pears to a plate and keep warm.
Transfer cooking juices to a small heavy saucepan. Add remaining ¼ c. sugar and boil, swirling pan, until mixture turns a deep golden caramel. Slowly add cream (caramel will bubble up) and simmer sauce, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle each pastry base with confectioner’s sugar and top with a pear half. Serve baked pears with caramel sauce.
Serves 4.
Labels: desserts
# posted by Lorraine @ 7:52 PM 
