Perched on platforms proudly pears rule the market stalls and grocery stores these days. Bosc, Bartlett, Conference or Rogue Red, there are sometimes too many varieties to choose from. When shopping for pears, we seek the slightly under ripe ones and allow them a few days to ripen at home before slicing into them and savouring the sweetness they bring to the season. The kids love them sliced with yoghurt in the mornings or even more so, stewed in honey and served with custard as a treat after supper.
Frangipane, a French dessert, is most popular around Christmas time. But sometimes you just can’t wait that long when the craving hits for this classic combination of fruit and nut flavours. Pears, popping up at all the market stalls and grocery stores this month, are ripe and ready to rumble. We have juiced them, packed then for picnics and now are baking them into this gorgeous pie. If time allows you can make these into mini tartlets and freeze them. We image they would make a delicious surprise for any guests you might have stopping by for a visit.
As the evenings draw to a close so much earlier these days, it is ok to sit back and enjoy a quieter calmer season of warmth and comfort. I have taken the plunge and decided at the very last minute to continue on in college for one more (final) year and do the MA in Journalism. I hope you will continue to read along over the next few months and if there are any recipes you would like us to share with you just email me at [email protected] and I will get it in for the next issue.
Thanks for reading and do pop over to the blog at www.WiseWords.ie for more stories and recipes.
Pear Frangipani (makes one 9” pie)
What you will need
- One 9” pastry/tart crust
- Poached pears
- 700ml white or rose wine
- 120g honey
- 1 whole vanilla bean
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 whole cloves
- 5 firm Bosc pears
- 100g blackcurrants (or blackberries)
- Frangipane tart filling
- 100g blanched and slivered almonds
- 2 tspn flour
- 1 tspn cornstarch
- 80g light brown sugar
- 6 Tbspn butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tspn vanilla
- 2 Tbsp Bourbon or Brandy
How to prepare
In a medium (shallow) pan, combine wine, blackcurrants and honey. Split the vanilla pod and scrape seeds into the pan along with the entire bean. Add cinnamon stick and cloves. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil and then reduce to a simmer over medium heat. Peel and remove the centre of the pears and cut in half. Add the pears to the pan with the wine. Simmer for 10 minutes or a bit longer depending on the original firmness of the pears.
Remove from the heat but leave the pears in the juice until you are ready to use them for the pie. Keep the poaching liquid in the fridge for hot toddy’s.
Pre-heat oven to 200ºC. Roll out pastry to fit 9” pie pan. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the pastry several times. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside but leave oven on.
In a food processor, combine the almonds and flour, cornstarch and sugar. Grind finely. Add in butter, vanilla and bourbon or brandy. Finally, blend in the eggs until the mixture is smooth. Spoon the frangipane filling into the baked tart crust. Place the poached pear halves into the frangipane mixture. Bake the tart for 50 minutes, until the frangipane puffs up and looks firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool.
Móna Wise
