Ginger Pear Sorbet In Spiced Brown Butter And Walnut Tuile Cups Recipes

SPICED BROWN BUTTER AND WALNUT TUILLE CUPS

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick silicone baking mats. Arrange four 3/4-cup custard cups upside down on work surface.
• Stir butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until nutty brown and milk solids are dark brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Carefully pour browned butter into small bowl and cool slightly.
• Combine egg whites, sugar, five-spice powder, and salt in medium bowl; whisk until mixture is foamy, about 1 minute. Add warm browned butter, leaving dark brown milk solids behind in bowl; whisk until blended. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour and whisk until blended and smooth.
• Drop batter by scant tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 4 inches apart (about 4 per sheet). Using small offset spatula, spread each to 5-inch round (batter will be spread very thin). Sprinkle generous 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped walnuts over each.
• Bake tuiles, 1 sheet at a time, until evenly golden all over, about 11 minutes. Working quickly and using wide metal spatula, carefully lift each tuile from sheet and immediately drape over custard cup and press to mold to cup, making cookie bowls. Cool until tuiles are set. Carefully remove tuiles from cups and place on rack to cool completely. Repeat procedure with batter and walnuts on cool baking sheets, making total of 12 cookie bowls (to allow for any breakage). For additional cookies, if desired, drop remaining batter onto baking sheets by teaspoonfuls, spacing 2 inches apart, and bake until evenly golden. Transfer to rack and cool. DO AHEAD: Cookie bowls and cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• *A spice blend that usually contains ground fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves; available in the spice section of most supermarkets.

GINGER PEAR SORBET

Steps:

• Line 9-inch glass pie dish with plastic wrap. Drain syrup from pears into small bowl; transfer pears to prepared dish. Add sugar, ginger and lemon peel to syrup and stir until sugar dissolves. Pour syrup mixture over pears. Cover and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours.
• Turn pear mixture out onto work surface; peel off plastic. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in processor; blend until smooth. Freeze in covered container 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.) Scoop sorbet into glasses. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

PEAR SORBET

Steps:

• Cut the pears into 1-inch (3-cm) chunks. Put them in a large, nonreactive saucepan along with 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the water. Cover and cook over medium to high heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pears are cooked through and tender when poked with a paring knife.
• Transfer the cooked pears to a blender (you should have 2 cups, 500 ml, of purée) and add the remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) water, sugar, and lemon juice. Purée until smooth.
• Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Variation
• For Pear-Ginger Sorbet, add 1/4 cup (25 g) very finely chopped candied ginger to the sorbet during the last few minutes of churning.
• Perfect Pairings
• Serve Pear Sorbet with a scoop of Chocolate Sorbet (page 120) or Chocolate Ice Cream (pages 26 and 28).