Caramel Pear Blondies Recipes

QUICK & EASY CARAMELIZED PEARS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add pears, one cut side down, and cook until browned, then reduce heat to medium and cook 3 minutes. Turn pears to other cut side and cook 4 minutes. Add sugar and 1 tablespoon water, swirling pan to combine. Turn pears skin side down and cook until sauce is thickened slightly, 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla and pinch of salt. Serve warm with ice cream.

CARAMEL PEAR BLONDIES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line a 20 x 20cm square cake tin.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, swirling it around. Allow to bubble for a few minutes, or until it turns a light golden brown and smells biscuity. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little.
• Tip the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk together with the light and dark sugars until just combined. Whisk through the melted butter, vanilla and salt.
• Gently fold through the flour, baking powder, dried pears and most of the chocolate chunks, being careful not to overmix (this will make the blondies dense).
• Pour the mixture into the lined tin. Top with the remaining chocolate and dollops of the caramel. Put in the centre of the oven to bake for 40 mins, or until a skewer inserted comes out with sticky crumbs (it shouldn't be wet). Leave to cool completely in the tin. It will sink a little - the centre should be slightly squidgy. Cut into 12 squares. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.

SALTED CARAMEL PEAR PIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with baking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper so that there is a 2 inch overhang on the two long sides of the pan. (This makes it easier to lift the pie bars out of the pan after baking.)
• Beat the butter, brown and white sugars, and vanilla extract for crust in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the flour and salt; mix at low speed until combined. Refrigerate dough for 10 minutes.
• With lightly moistened hands, press about 2/3 of the crust mixture evenly along the bottom of prepared pan; refrigerate pan for 5 to 7 minutes. Place the remaining 1/3 of the crust mixture in the fridge until needed.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on.
• To prepare the filling, toss the pear slices and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt; toss well to coat. Spread the pears evenly over the crust.
• Tear the reserved crust mixture into small pieces. Using your hands, combine the walnuts with the dough and scatter the mixture evenly over the pears.
• Bake in the preheated oven 1 hour, rotating pan halfway through, until the pears are fork-tender and the topping is golden brown. Cool completely in the pan, 1 to 2 hours.
• To prepare the caramel sauce, combine the sugar and water in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat; cook, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves.
• Increase the heat to medium-high; bring to a boil-without stirring, but instead, regularly swirling the pan and occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Cook, swirling and brushing regularly, until the syrup turns a deep amber color, 12 to 17 minutes.
• Gently pour in the heavy cream (the caramel will foam and bubbly up vigorously). Add in the butter pieces and stir gently until smooth. Remove the caramel from heat and stir in the salt.
• When ready to serve, use the parchment overhang to lift the slab from the pan and slice into bars. Drizzle with the caramel sauce.