Chestnut Honey Baked Pears Stuffed With Mascarpone Recipes

CHAI POACHED PEARS STUFFED WITH GINGER MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Infuse tea in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes depending.
• Place in large pot and add sugar.
• Bring mixture to just under a boil.
• Once sugar has dissolved add peeled and cored pears and reduce heat to a simmer.
• Poach pears for 15 to 20 minutes or until soft.
• Reserve poaching liquid.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Mix cheese, vanilla and ginger with a fork.
• Add 2 tablespoons of poaching liquid to cheese mixture so that it is soft enough to pipe.
• Place mixture in a piping bag and fill the holes in the pears.
• Place 1 cup of poaching liquid and orange zest in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil.
• In a separate pot combine cream and honey and heat until warm.
• When warm add cream mixture slowly to poaching liquid.
• To serve place 1 pear on a plate.
• Spoon sauce around the pear.
• Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg and a fresh sprig of mint.

ROASTED PEARS WITH CHESTNUT HONEY

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. In an oven-safe pan large enough to hold the pears in a single layer simmer the honey over medium-high heat until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
• 3. Place the pears, cut sides up, and the butter in the pan. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, if desired. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook, turning and basting once or twice, until pale golden and not quite tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• 4. Transfer the pan to the oven and continue to roast, turning once or twice, until golden brown and tender, 5 to 7 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature, drizzled with the honey from the pan. If desired, season with black pepper and fresh thyme.

HONEY-POACHED PEARS WITH MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Toss pears with lemon juice in large bowl. Set aside. Combine 1 cup water, wine and honey in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over medium heat until honey dissolves. Add pears. Cover mixture with round piece of parchment paper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pears are just tender when pierced, turning when half-way through cooking, about 15 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to large bowl. Boil poaching liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Cool syrup. Pour syrup over pears. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove vanilla bean.
• Whisk mascarpone cheese, sugar and brandy in large bowl until smooth. Add 1/4 cup chilled poaching syrup and whisk until soft peaks form.
• Thinly slice each pear half lengthwise, leaving slices attached at stem end. Using metal spatula, transfer pears to plates. Gently press on pears to fan slightly. Spoon some syrup over pears. Spoon mascarpone cream alongside each pear half and serve.

BAKED PEARS WITH VANILLA MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice off bottom end of each pear just enough so that it will stand upright. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove seeds from the bottom. Peel upper half, leaving stem intact, and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub butter over peeled part of each pear, and arrange pears in a small baking dish (about 7 by 11 inches) so they are standing. Sprinkle with the sugar.
• Pour wine into baking dish; add thyme sprigs, if using. Bake until pears are soft when pierced with a paring knife and well browned, about 45 minutes; using a small spoon, baste pears occasionally with the wine, adding a bit of water as needed to prevent liquid from evaporating. Remove from oven.
• To serve, spoon some of the pan juices into each serving dish, and place a pear on top. Serve with a dollop of mascarpone and several biscotti on the side.