mix, mix…stir, stir

Dorie Greenspan, the author of the book, Baking: From My Home to Yours, joined in the Tuesdays with Dorie baking fun this week by selecting the recipe and posting on her blog along with all of us. This group was hatched by Laurie of Quirky Cupcake because she wanted to bake her way through Dorie’s book and though it would be fun to have a few other baking bloggers join in the adventure. Well, one year later, and she has over 350 of us on the bandwagon! Thanks Dorie for selecting our assignment for the week and for jumping in on discussions to help us solve our baking problems, but mostly thanks for writing such an outstanding book.

photo by David Peterman

You know how when the teacher is watching you always screw up? Ya, so I cut the pears wrong. I fanned them out by cutting lengthwise, rather than cutting crosswise as Dorie suggests. It’s not that it makes it taste any different, but it just figures on the recipe that she picked I goof. The funny thing is I didn’t even realize it until I checked in on the question and answer posts for the week. I guess I should read that before I start baking! If you check out some of the other posts in the group you will see that a crosswise cut makes a really beautiful presentation. Either way, this is such a delicious tart built from three basic components, pastry, almond cream, and pears.

The best tip I learned from Dorie’s recipe is that canned pears work perfectly well if you don’t want to bother with poaching pears. Dorie learned this little tip from a French pastry instructor, and he should know. I am especially happy to hear canned pears being praised because I have always secretly loved them. 

This French Pear Tart is buttery, sweet, aromatic and elegant, making it an impressive dessert to serve to guests. All of the components can be made ahead to relive some of the day-of work when entertaining. Regardless of how the pears are sliced, it’s fantastic.

photo by David Peterman

I did poach my pears with a different poaching syrup than Dorie’s recipe because I had some white wine on hand I wanted to use and a drawer full of spices that I just can’t seem to stay out of (recipe at end of post). Poached pears alone make a spectacular dessert if you are averse to dealing with the pastry element. I also like them as a dessert option when entertaining vegan friends. To serve the pear whole, simply remove the core from the bottom of the pear by scooping it out with a melon baller. The cavity can be filled with a pastry cream or marzipan for serving for a nice surprise.  A drizzle of the reduced poaching syrup, a chocolate syrup, a scoop of ice cream or sorbet, or crispy little cookies all make great accompaniments to a lovely poached pear.

photo by David Peterman

Long peppers were one of the spices I tossed into the poaching liquid. I was already a fan of long peppers, but it wasn’t until I came across Daniel Boulud’s book, Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine, that I put them together with poaching fruit. He uses them with vanilla bean in braising peaches.

Long peppers (Piper longum) are a flower spike that is 1- 11/2 inches long studded with tiny fruits. They look a bit like a long narrow pine cone. It is in the same family as black peppercorns, but has more piperine, the pungent flavor component of black pepper. What makes them interesting is the woody, gingery, almost piney flavor notes that combine with the pepper flavor. They also give a very slight numbing sensation similar to sichuan peppers.

An ancient spice popular in the Middle Ages, long pepper is indigenous to Central Africa but is also cultivated in India and China. Other than pickling and some North African spice mixes it isn’t used much. It can be used like black pepper and it works really well against sweet elements like the poached pears and similarly I have used it is spiced hot cider. I have even infused cream and made a really interesting (in a good way) ganache. You can find long peppers at specialty spice stores like World Spice.  

Spiced Poached Pears

4-6 pears, slightly firm
3 cups Riesling or other white wine
3 cups water
1 cup sugar (adjust amount to taste)
2 long peppers
5 allspice berries
10 cardamom pods
1 vanilla bean

Place the wine, water and sugar in a sauce pan just large enough in diameter to hold the number of pears being poached.

Split the vanilla bean down the length of the bean and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and pod to the poaching liquid. Roughly crush the spices just enough to crack them open or into a few pieces. A mortar and pestle works well, or press on them with the back of a small skillet. Add the spices to the poaching liquid and stir to combine all the ingredients.

Peel and core the pears. If serving the pears whole, use a melon baller to scoop out the core from the bottom so the pear remains intact. Place the pears in the poaching liquid and bring to a simmer and simmer covered for about 30 minutes, or until the pears are tender to the point that the tip of a knife easily pierces the pear, but don’t cook them to the point of being really soft. A small pan lid or plate placed directly on the pears will help keep them submerged during cooking.

Let the pears cool in the poaching liquid. The pears can be stored in the refrigerator for a day in the poaching liquid. The liquid can be strained and reserved for future poaching or a portion can be reduced to make a nice syrup to drizzle over the pears when serving.