AUTUMN PEAR~BERRY CRUMBLE

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aromatic, autumn, bake, bartlett, berries, berry, billington's, blackberries, chilly, cinnamon, comfort, comfort food, cook, cooking, cream, crumble, crunch, crunchy, food, fruit, fruity, golden, ice cream, juice, juicy, michael rock, pear, pears, raspberry, recipe, recipies, red bartlett.easy to make, rich, ripe, ripened, seasonal, spiced, sweet, vanilla, warm

 

This crumble tastes good at any time of the year, but when I found these aromatic red Bartlett pears in the autumn, they inspired me to bake them dusted lightly with cinnamon.

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I partnered them with raspberries and blackberries which complimented the delicious pear juice which closely resembled the rich red color of the pear skins.

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This recipe is really simple to make and no fancy gadgets are needed!

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It is the perfect comfort food on a chilly autumn day.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FRUIT:

♦ Seven medium-sized pears 
♦ 1 1/2 cups of raspberries and blackberries 
♦ 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRUMBLE:

♦ 4 ounces of unsalted butter at room temperature  (plus extra for lining the pan)
♦ 6 1/2 ounces of sifted all-purpose flour 
♦ 4 ounces of Billington’s Demerara sugar (do not substitute as this is a key ingredient) Demerara is a natural unrefined cane sugar that is golden and crunchy. It really makes this crumble irresistible!

DEMERARA SUGAR

DIRECTIONS:

PRE HEAT AN OVEN TO 350F.

Slice the softened but firm butter into pieces and place in a bowl.

Take four ounces of Billington’s Demerara sugar and tip into a bowl with the sliced butter. Using a fork; Press the ingredients together until it resembles a sandy texture.

Next; Tip in the flour and stir with a fork until soft clumps form. Do not over stir.

Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler and cut them into slices. Arrange them in the base of a buttered baking dish. (Mine was an oval-shaped dish 13 x 9 inches)

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Dust the pears lightly with cinnamon powder.

Dot with the berries.

Take the crumble mixture and scatter it evenly all over the fruit.

Bake for an hour at 350F on the middle shelf until the crumble topping is a light golden color and the fruit begins to bubble.

A good vanilla bean ice cream is the preferred accompaniment with this crumble
(or in my case where I substituted with whipped cream with pure vanilla extract.)

Hot fragrant spiced pears mingle with rich fruity berries as cold cream flows into the bright red juices. All topped off with a golden sweet crunch!

PEAR & ALMOND TARTE TATIN

Tags

almond, almond paste, bake, baked, baking, caramelize, caramelized, cook, cooked, decadent, delicious, dinner, flakey, flavored, frangipane, french classic, fruit, intensely, juicy, michael rock, pastry, pear, pears, puff pastry, rich, ripe, strawberry moon cafe, upside down

PEAR & ALMOND TARTE TATIN
serves 4

Make any dinner party memorable with an intensely flavored, decadent dessert that will leave your guests craving for more.  Ripe and juicy pears become deliciously rich as they caramelize. Their rich sweetness compliments the flakey puff pastry and smooth cold cream.

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Here’s what you’ll need for this French classic with an almond twist

 

INGREDIENTS:

♦ 3 ripe pears

♦ 1 Sheet of puff pastry

♦ 3 ounces of unsalted butter

♦ 2 ounces of sugar

♦ 1 tablespoon of grated almond paste (I used Odense)

♦ Few grinds of fresh Nutmeg

♦ Light dusting of cinnamon powder

 Using a greased 9 -10 inch metal pan:  Melt the butter and sugar over a low to medium heat.

Meanwhile: Peel the pears and cut them lengthways into strips

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After the sugar and butter has turned into a golden caramel, add the pears and continue to cook over the direct heat.

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Dust with a little cinnamon and a few grates of nutmeg.
Continue to cook for a few minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

 
(Pour off excess liquid if necessary) and then scatter a little grated almond paste.  (optional)

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Cover with puff pastry, tucking the edges down the side of the pan and make slits in the pastry to allow the steam to escape.

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Bake in a pre-heated oven for 25 – 30 mins at 375 F

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After a few minutes of rest; Invert the pan onto a flat surface tapping the pan to loosen the caramelized pears. If some stick, don’t worry because they’re easily removed with a spatula and then rearranged.

Slice into four and serve while still warm

If food could smile, it would look this!

 

Pear & Muscat Canelli Tarte Tatin

Tags

cardamom, classic french, decadent, dessert, food, fruit, muscat canelli, pear, pears, puff pastry, recipe, sweet, tarte tatin, upside down

Pear & Muscat Canelli Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatine is one of my favorite decadent desserts. Traditionally it is made with apples but I wanted to add a personal twist to this French classic.

Here, I have used anjou pears that have been soaked in delicious Muscat Canelli and lightly dusted with freshly ground Cardamom.

 

INGREDIENTS:

♦ 1 Sheet of Puff Pastry

♦ 4 Ripe but firm Pears

♦ 3 Ounces of Unsalted Butter

♦ 2 Ounces of Sugar

♦ Glass of Muscat Canelli

♦ 2 Cardamom Pods

 

Peel the pears and slice them into long equal strips, then place them in a bowl.
Pour over the Muscat Canelli, making sure all the pears are coated.

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Split open the Cardamom Pods to extract the black seeds and then grind them with a pestle and mortar until they become a fine powder.

Sprinkle the powder over the pears.

   Take 3 ounces of unsalted butter.

Butter the surface of a 9-10 inch metal dish with sloping sides, then melt the butter and the sugar over a low to medium heat.
Keep stirring constantly, until the color becomes golden.

Start adding the Pears, forming concentric circles.

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Continue to cook over direct heat. This will help to reduce the amount of liquid before covering with pastry.

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When you have covered the pears with the pastry, make slits for the steam to escape and tuck all the edges down the sides of the pan.

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Bake in an oven at 375 F for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden.  

Remove from oven and carefully pour out any excessive amounts of liquid into a bowl.

You can reduce this liquid down to a thick syrup to pour over later as it will be very flavorsome.

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Place the pan over direct low/ medium heat for a few minutes to develop color and to further remove any excessive juices.

After it has rested for a few minutes, invert onto a flat plate.

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Allow the dessert time to cool down as the flavors from the pears will become enhanced.

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Here, I have served it with whipped cream in the absence of a preferred Vanilla Bean Gelato. 

Pair with a glass of chilled Muscat Canelli…

Cherry Trifle

Tags

cherry, classic, cream, creamy, crumble, delight, dessert, desserts, fruit, fruity, scrumptious, strawberry moon cafe, sweet, trifle

CHERRY TRIFLE

Trifle was a staple dessert for almost every English kid’s Birthday Party.
They were traditionally made in big bowls which looked overwhelming and clumsy.

So, here’s my more grown up version with combined elements from other deserts including a crunchy sweet crumble topping and light sponge cake laced with Kirsch and Amaretto, fresh cherries, crème anglaise, sweet cherry sauce and whipped vanilla cream, served in a chilled elegant glass which reveals the beautiful colorful layers.

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‘If you have any leftover sponge cake and crumble then these combine well in this recipe. Here I have rescued a little of each to make this trifle a real treat’.

 

BUILD THE TRIFLE:

 Place the light sponge cake in the base of the glass and lace with Amaretto, Kirsch or other liquor.

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Build layers of chopped cherries, crème anglaise, crunchy crumble, sweet cherry sauce and whipped vanilla cream.

Grown up tastes in a classic dessert that’ll make you feel like a kid!

SWEET CHERRY SAUCE

SWEET CHERRY SAUCE

 

 INGREDIENTS:

♦ 12 ounces of pitted cherries.

♦ ¼ cup sugar

♦ ½ cup water

♦ 1 teaspoon of cornstarch

♦ Kirsch

♦ Almond extract

METHOD:

♦ Blend the water, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan and then add the pitted cherries.

♦ Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes

♦ Place a lid over and allow to rest.

♦ Taste the sauce. Adjust with further reduction and additions of a few drops of almond extract and 2 or 3 tablespoons of Kirsch to taste.

♦ Mash the cherry fruit pulp to extract the flavor and juices or blitz in a processor.

♦ Push the fruit pulp through a sieve to make a smooth sauce.

♦ Taste the sauce and adjust with more Kirsch if necessary.

CRÈME ANGLAISE

CRÈME ANGLAISE

INGREDIENTS:

♦ 2 whole eggs

♦ 10 fluid ounces of whole milk

♦ 1 ½ tablespoons of superfine sugar

♦ 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

MAKE CRÈME ANGLAISE

Pour milk into saucepan with sugar and vanilla and stir over heat but do not bring to a boil.

Allow milk to cool.

Whisk the eggs into a glass bowl and add the milk. (Place the glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water stirring continuously until the custard begins to thicken. (Careful not to over-heat or over-cook as it will curdle)

Place the covered custard in refrigerator.

Pear & Cherry Crumble

Tags

cherries, cherry, crumble, crumbly, delicious, dessert, desserts, food, fruit, fruity, michael rock, pear, pears, scrumptious, strawberry moon cafe, sweet, sweets

Crumbles are a great way to use up left over fruit.
You could use different combinations of fruit but in this recipe I have used Pears and Cherries in individual 5″ ramekins.

 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FRUIT FILLING:

♦ One ripe Pear

♦ 8-10 ounces of Cherries 

♦ Splash of Kirsch

♦ 2 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOPPING:

♦ 2 ounces of Unsalted Butter + extra for lining the ramekins

♦ 2 ounces of Demerara Sugar 

♦ 3 ounces of plain Flour 
  

MAKE THE CRUMBLE TOPPING:

Butter should be soft to firm.
Cut butter into pieces and add to a bowl with the Demerara sugar and flour.
Push the ingredients together using your fingers or a fork.
(do not use any processor)

 

Butter two 3 ½ inch ramekins and add sliced pears and pack the cherries in tight filling the gaps with more pears.

Add a tablespoon of Kirsch (optional)

Sprinkle over the Crumble Mixture  

 Place the ramekins on a hot baking tray (to catch any spills) in a pre-heated 350 F oven for 45 minutes. 

Allow them to cool down for 30 minutes before serving.

Pear Cherry & Almond Upside Down Cake

Tags

cake, cakes, cherries, cherry, comfort, delicious, dessert, food, fruit, kirsch, michael rock, pear, recipes, reipe, scrumptious, strawberry moon cafe, upside down cake

Fresh seasonal cherries and ripe pears decorate a rich upside down coffee cake infused with flavors of Kirsch and almond

 

INGREDIENTS

♦ 35 Whole Pitted Cherries

♦ 2 Ripe Pears

♦ 1 Tablespoon Kirsch

♦ 1 ½ Cups of Self-Rising Flour

♦ ½ Cup of Superfine Sugar + 2 Tablespoons

♦ Generous ½ Cup of Whole Milk

♦ Pinch of Salt

♦ 1 Whole Egg

♦ ¼ Cup of Unsalted Butter = 2 Tablespoons

♦ 1 Teaspoon of almond extract  ♦ 1/2 Teaspoon of vanilla

DIRECTIONS

♦ In a 9 1/2 inch metal baking pan, coat surfaces with butter. Cut a disc from parchment paper for the bottom and coat with butter again.

♦ Cut two tablespoons of butter into the pan and sprinkle over two tablespoons of sugar. Shake to distribute evenly.

♦ Remove the pits from the cherries and pour over a tablespoon of Kirsch.

♦ Peel and slice the pears to make four large pieces and arrange them with the cherries in the base of the pan. (this will be the top of the cake)

MEANWHILE: MAKE THE COFFEE CAKE STYLE BATTER

♦ In a bowl;  Add ½ cup of superfine sugar with one egg and ¼ cup of butter.

♦ Cream the egg, sugar and butter adding the almond and vanilla.

♦ Stir in ½ cup of whole milk, add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir into a smooth batter.

  ♦ Pour the batter over the fruit and place in a pre-heated oven for 35- 40 minutes at 375 F

♦ Remove from oven and allow to cool for five minutes.

♦ Invert on to a flat plate. Allow the cake to cool off for 20 minutes.

♦ Dust with a little powdered sugar and serve warm with whipped cream, premier ice cream, crème fraise or by itself.

 

 

Rhubarb Upside Down Pudding Cake

Tags

caramalize, compote, delicious, dessert, desserts, fruit, michael rock, pud, pudding, pudding cake, recipe, rhubarb, scrumptious, strawberry moon cafe, sweet, sweets, tasty, tempting, treat, upside down, upside down pudding cake

This dessert is visually appealing and develops rich colors and a sheen.

The edge of the cake develops a delicious caramalized flavor which is ‘reminiscent of treacle pudding’ with a slight crunchy texture which contrasts well with the rest of the soft moist cake.

With vibrant fruit flavors, this is delicious served warm with cold fresh cream.

INGREDIENTS

♦ 1 ½ Pounds of Fresh Rhubarb   ♦ 4 Frozen Strawberries   ♦ 1 Tablespoon of fresh Meyer Lemon   ♦ Splash of Elderflower Cordial   ♦ ¼ Cup Water   ♦ ¼ Cup Sugar compote and ½ Cup Sugar for the batter mix   ♦ 1 Teaspoon of Cornstarch   ♦ 1 Cup of All Purpose Flour   ♦ 1 Teaspoon Vanilla   ♦ 1 Stick of Unsalted Butter   ♦ ½ Cup of Whole Milk

MAKE THE COMPOTE

♦ Roast about 8 – 10 ounces of sliced rhubarb covered with foil in an oven for 15-20 minutes at 350 F

♦ Place the water, sugar, cornstarch in a saucepan, stirring to blend. Then add the rhubarb, strawberries, splash of elderflower cordial (optional) plus a tablespoon of lemon juice. Simmer gently for 3-5 minutes and remove from heat.

♦ Clean the remaining rhubarb, discard the ends and slice on an angle into ¼ inch thick pieces.

♦ Butter a round metal pan (9 ½”) 

♦ Chop the two tablespoons of butter and scatter over the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle about two tablespoons of sugar over.

♦ Tightly arrange the sliced rhubarb in the pan, leaving no spaces and lightly sprinkle sugar over the top and allow to stand while you make the batter.

♦ Place the pan over direct heat on stove top for a minute or two to start the caramalization.

MAKE THE BATTER

In a large bowl;

♦ Sift in the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

In another bowl;

♦ Whisk the egg, milk and butter and vanilla extract.  

♦ Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients stirring to a smooth batter.

♦ Pour the batter over the rhubarb and pour the compote over the batter.

♦ Bake in an oven for 35-40 mins at 375 F

♦ Allow to cool for 5 minutes, run a knife around the sides of the pan and then invert onto a flat plate and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Slice and serve warm with cold whipped cream, premier ice cream or by itself.

 

Elderflower Cordial

Tags

cordial, drink, elder.elderflower, elderberry, flavoring, floral dring, flowers, michael rock, sorbet, strawberry moon cafe

June is the month I pick the Elder Flowers to make an Elderflower Cordial.

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Last year, I tried a number of recipes to find the best method. To be honest, none of them were successful. Some of those recipes called for placing the stems and flowers in hot water (like making tea) while others suggested cold water. Some included slices of lemon or orange which I thought overpowered the flavor of the delicate flowers.  So this year, I thought I’d try two new versions and I’m posting the best one here.

METHOD

 First, shake the stems to free any bugs or other debris and then strip all the open flowers from the stems.

In a glass bowl, combine 4 ounces of flowers with 4 cups of pure water. Cover and refrigerate for 4 days.

After the flowers have infused for four days, pour the mixture through a fine muslin cloth to filter the sediment.

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Pour the liquid into a non-reactive saucepan and add 1/2 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.

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Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

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Strain the cool liquid again for a clear cordial.

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Pour the Elderflower cordial into sterilized sealed jars. Best used within three to four weeks.

USES

Add to chilled pure water with a slice of lemon and a mint sprig.

Make into a sorbet.

Add to a glass of chilled Champagne!