White Wine Roasted Pears With Hazelnut Ice Cream Recipes

VANILLA & WHITE WINE POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Before you start, cut out a circle of baking parchment using a large pan as a template. (This is called a cartouche, and will cover the pears later - it should be the same size as the pan to keep the pears submerged and the liquid from evaporating too quickly). Set aside. Tip the sugar, cinnamon sticks, vanilla seeds and pod, cardamom, wine and 200ml water into the pan. Peel strips of the lemon zest, avoiding the pith. Drop in the strips of zest, then warm over a low heat until the mix is steaming and the sugar has dissolved.
• Peel the pears, leaving the stalks intact. Slice in half lengthways through the core, then use a melon baller or small, sharp knife to remove the hard core and pips. Carefully place the pears in the steaming liquid, then turn up the heat to medium- low and bring to a simmer. Cover the surface with the circle of baking parchment and cook the pears for 20-30 mins, or until they can be pierced with the tip of a knife with little resistance.
• Meanwhile, sterilise two 1-litre jam jars. When the pears are cooked and still hot, transfer to the jars with any aromatics from the pan. Top up with the poaching liquid so the pears are covered. Seal and leave to cool. Will keep for up to six months in a cool place. Serve with ice cream or hot chocolate sauce, if you like.

ROASTED PEARS WITH HAZELNUT SYRUP AND CANDIED HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan simmer water with 1 cup sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. (Syrup may be made up to this point 2 days ahead and cooled completely before being chilled, covered.)
• Preheat oven to 350° F and lightly butter a shallow baking pan.
• Coarsely chop hazelnuts. Stir nuts into syrup and simmer 1 minute. With a slotted spoon transfer nuts to baking pan, arranging in one layer, and reserve syrup. Cut butter into pieces. Bake nuts in middle of oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Immediately add butter to nuts, tossing to coat and separate, and with a spatula transfer nuts to a plate to cool (nuts will crisp as they cool). (Nuts may be candied 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Reserved syrup may be kept, covered and chilled, 2 days.)
• Lightly butter a shallow ovenproof kettle or casserole dish (about 12 by 2 1/2 inches). With a sharp knife trim a very thin slice from bottom of each pear to enable pears to stand upright. Dip and roll each pear in reserved syrup to coat completely. Transfer pears as coated to kettle, standing them upright, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Add liqueur, lemon juice, and vanilla to remaining reserved syrup and pour down side of kettle or casserole.
• Roast pears, uncovered, in middle of oven until undersides are tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes.
• Arrange pears on a serving platter. Spoon syrup around pears and sprinkle with candied nuts. Serve pears warm or at room temperature.

ROAST PEAR & SHERRY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Peel, halve and core the pears, then put them in a gratin dish or roasting tin in which they can sit without too much surface area around them (otherwise the juices that come out of them will just burn off ). Sprinkle with the sugar and drizzle over 4 tbsp sherry and the melted butter. Bake for 30-40 mins; the pears should be completely tender and the juices around them slightly caramelised (check on them after 20 mins - if the pears are small it will take less time). Cut the pears up - still in the dish - and pour over the remaining sherry. Leave to cool completely, then purée (including all the juice) and push through a sieve. Cover and chill.
• To make the ice cream base, put the cream and milk in a heavy-based pan and add half the sugar. Slit the vanilla pod along its length and scrape the seeds out into the pan. Drop in the pod as well. Bring to just under the boil, stirring, then take the pan off the heat and leave to infuse. Remove the vanilla pod.
• Put the egg yolks in a bowl with the rest of the sugar and whisk with electric beaters until the mixture has increased in volume and falls in ribbons (this will take about 2 mins). Gradually stir about half the cream mixture into the eggs and sugar, then add this to the rest of the cream in the pan. Set the pan over a very low heat and cook, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, for 8-10 mins, or until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be really careful not to let the mixture overheat or it'll curdle.
• Pour the custard into a bowl set in a sink of iced water (this stops it cooking immediately) and leave to cool, stirring a little every so often. Chill for 3 hrs. Stir the pear purée and the 2 tbsp sherry into the custard, then churn in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. Spoon into a container, cover and store in the freezer. Alternatively, if you don't have an ice cream maker, put the custard and pear mixture into a freezer-proof bowl, cover and put it in the freezer. Beat the mixture every hour until it's frozen (about 4 hrs) to break down the crystals.

BALSAMIC ROASTED PEARS WITH PEPPER AND HONEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Melt butter in an 8-inch square glass baking dish in middle of oven, about 3 minutes.
• Arrange pears, cut sides down, in 1 layer in butter and roast in middle of oven until tender, about 20 minutes.
• Pour vinegar over pears and roast 5 minutes more.
• Transfer pears, cut sides down, to serving plates with cheese and spoon some of juices from baking dish over pears. Drizzle pears and cheese with honey and sprinkle with pepper.

WHITE WINE ROASTED PEARS WITH HAZELNUT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine wine, 1 cup sugar, honey, zests, cardamom, clove, and vanilla bean. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer until mixture is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Generously grease a 13x9 baking dish. Using a melon baller, scoop out center of pears, removing seeds. Place pears, cut side up, in prepared baking dish. Using a pastry brush,evenly coat pears with cooled wine mixture. Sprinkle pears with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until pears are fork tender. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
• To serve, place each pear in a mini tart (if desired) and scoop hazelnut ice cream into center of each pear. Repeat with remaining pears (and tarts), and ice cream. Garnish with hazelnuts and fresh mint; if desired.
• serve immediately.
• HAZELNUT ICE CREAM:In small saucepan, combine half and half, sugar, vanilla bean and vanilla. Cook over medium high heat, just until it starts to boil, remove from heat.
• In medium bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth. Using ladle, pour 1 cup hot mixture in small, steady stream into yolks, whisking constantly. Add an additional 1 cup of hot cream into egg mixture, whisking to combine. Pour egg mixture into hot milk mixture; cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat back of a wooden spoon.
• Strain mixture into a blender; add nuts. Pulse mixture until nuts are finely ground. Strain mixture into stainless steel bowl; place in a larger bowl filled with ice. Let mixture cool completely, stirring often.
• Pour mixture into container of and electric ice cream freezer, and freeze according to manufactures instructions. Spoon ice cream into a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours for a firmer texture.