Pear Halves Poached in Sangria With Toffee and Cream |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes |
Ready In: 60 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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Ingredients:
6 pears |
750 ml sangria |
1/2 cup sugar |
2 teaspoons cinnamon |
2 teaspoons nutmeg |
1/2-1 cup butter or 1/2-1 cup margarine |
1 cup packed light brown sugar |
1/4 cup chocolate chips |
8 ounces heavy cream |
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar |
Directions:
1. -For pears-
2. Peel, halve, core and de-stem pears.
3. Pour entire bottle of sangria in large saucepan or small pot.
4. Add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Stir until sugar is dissolved over a high heat-creating a syrup mixture.
6. Place pear halves in syrup mixture, ensuring that they are at least 90% covered.
7. You can add a bit of water and more sugar if needed.
8. Allow the pears to poach over high heat until they soften, but are still slightly firm.
9. The firmness is a personal preference.
10. I like them more firm-about 40 minutes.
11. When they are poached to your satisfaction, remove the pears and set them aside.
12. Leave the syrup mixture on the high heat- reduce until thickened.
13. -For toffee- Take out a baking sheet Place butter and brown sugar in medium sauce pan Stir over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble Lower heat slightly and continuously stir until the mixture begins to hold together while you are stirring.
14. Test for doneness by dropping a bit of the toffee from a spoon into a glass of water.
15. If the toffee bead is hard when pressed, it is done.
16. Spread toffee out on baking sheet.
17. Distribute chocolate chips evenly on toffee.
18. When they begin to show a sheen, spread them out with a spatula so the chocolate covers all of the toffee.
19. Place in refrigerator until well hardened.
20. Break into manageable sized pieces, a few larger than the others.
21. -For cream- With a whisk or mixer, whip the cream and confectioner's sugar until the cream can stand on its own.
22. It should start to form peaks without getting lumpy.
23. Lumpy means you are about to make butter instead of whipped cream.
24. This is from experience.
25. -To Plate this dessert- Drizzle the plate with your syrup Place the pear halves, cut side down on the plate so the wide ends are together.
26. Stand a larger piece of toffee between the pear halves.
27. You may have to tuck the bottom edge under one of the pear halves and let it lean a bit.
28. Place healthy dollops of creme anywhere toffee and pear meet.
29. Heck, put it anywhere you like!
30. Break up smaller pieces of toffee and scatter them around the plate a bit.
31. Serve immediately or you will pick at it and it won't be pretty anymore, then you'll end up eating it yourself.
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