Pear Brandy Butter Recipes

PEAR BUTTER RECIPE

Steps:

• Place pears, sugar, all spice and nutmeg into slow cooker and mix. Turn on high and cook for 4 -5 hours, until pear pieces are very soft. Once cooked, cool enough to mix with immersion blender, or pour into regular blender. Blend to desired texture. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly. Pour into jars to store in fridge or freezer.

GLAZED PEARS WITH BROWN-SUGAR OAT CRISP AND PEAR-BRANDY SYLLABUB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pears, sugar, flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, lemon zest and ginger. Mix in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the vanilla.
• In a large skillet fitted with a lid, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the pear mixture and sauté for 2 minutes. Pour in cup water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook at a gentle boil for 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer, stirring every 10 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates, about 40 minutes more. Add the remaining lemon juice and keep at a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, until the liquid becomes syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Make the crisp: In a large bowl, combine the flour, almonds, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or 2 forks, then mix the dough with your hands until combined and crumbly. Transfer to a small baking sheet and cook until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir the crisp, then let cool and break into pieces with a wooden spoon.
• Prepare the syllabub: Whisk the cream with an electric mixer until it starts to thicken. If using heavy cream, gradually pour in the sugar. Add the brandy, if you choose, one tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition. Turn the mixer to high and whip to soft peaks.
• Assemble the dessert: in clear glasses, place a layer of pears, followed by a layer of crisp (about 1/3 cup each per serving). Top each with syllabub and dust with cinnamon. Or assemble in a large trifle bowl.

PEAR CRISPS WITH VANILLA BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• Make topping:
• Pulse together flour, almonds, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Add butter and pulse just until blended. Coarsely crumble in a shallow baking pan and chill at least 1 hour.
• Make filling and bake crisps:
• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into a small heavy saucepan, then add pod and butter and cook over medium-low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until butter is browned and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
• While butter browns, stir together sugars, flour, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add pears and brandy and toss to combine.
• Discard vanilla pod, then toss butter with pear mixture. Spoon filling into gratin dishes and sprinkle with topping, mounding it slightly in centers. Put in a shallow baking pan and bake 30 minutes, then rotate baking sheet and bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more. Cool to warm or room temperature on a rack.

BRANDIED PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix 1/3 cup brown sugar with water and lemon juice together in an ungreased baking dish until sugar is dissolved. Arrange pear halves, core side down, in the dish, and baste with the sauce. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake pears in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until fork-tender but not mushy.
• Meanwhile, mix nuts together with the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons brandy, and the yogurt; set aside. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle in white sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons of brandy, or liqueur of choice, and gently whip a few strokes more.
• To serve, place one pear half in the center of each serving plate and fill core cavity with nut stuffing. Top with whipped cream. Serve warm.

PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Place pears into a large pot over medium heat, and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot and keep them from sticking, about 1/2 cup. Cook until the pears are soft, about 30 minutes. Press pears through a sieve or food mill, and measure out 2 quarts of the pulp.
• Pour the pear pulp and sugar into a large saucepan and stir to dissolve sugar. Stir in the orange zest, nutmeg and orange juice. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is thick enough to mound in a spoon. When the mixture begins to thicken, stir frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom. This will take about 1 hour.
• Ladle the pear butter into hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles by sliding a metal spatula around where the pear butter touches the glass. Wipe jar rims clean, and seal with lids and rings. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. The water should cover the jars by 1 inch. Check with your local extension for exact processing times for your area.

PEAR AND SOUR CHERRY BROWN BETTY WITH BRANDY HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the hard sauce, in a medium bowl set an electric mixer on high and beat the butter until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add confectioners' sugar. When the sugar is incorporated, set the speed back to high. Add the brandy 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until combined. Beat in the nutmeg. Transfer the sauce to a ramekin or bowl, cover and refrigerate. Hard sauce can be made at least a week ahead, but allow it to come to room temperature before serving (about 20 minutes).
• To make the brown betty, heat the Cognac or brandy in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the liquid has come to a simmer, turn off the heat and add the cherries. Allow them to absorb most of the liquid, about 20 minutes.
• While cherries are standing, heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture for sprinkling. Add bread, butter and lemon zest. Toss until sugar has dissolved and bread is completely coated.
• In a shallow 1 1/2-quart gratin dish (or a 9-by-9-inch pan), scatter a little under half the bread cubes. Layer half the pear slices and half the cherries (along with any liquid) on top. Cover with a cup of bread crumbs and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons cider. Layer remaining pears, cherries and bread. Sprinkle top with remaining cider and reserved sugar-and-spice mixture.
• Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Take off foil and continue baking, until crumbs are golden brown and pears are very soft, about 15 minutes more. Serve warm with dollops of hard sauce.

PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Simmer pear halves and brandy in a saucepan for 20 minutes over medium heat. In a separate saucepan, combine sugar, zest, and orange juice. Set aside. When pears are soft, transfer to a blender and puree*. Add puree to saucepan and simmer for 1 1/2 hours over low heat, stirring occasionally. Pear butter is ready when all the liquid has evaporated and the consistency is very thick. If canning, follow USDA guidelines for canning.
• *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

PEAR BRANDY BUTTER

Steps:

• Prepare canning jars. Combine pears, sugar, orange juice, brandy and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a heavy saucepan.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook slowly until the pears are very tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Spoon the mixture into a food processor or blender, and purée it, in batches if necessary, until it is smooth.
• Return the mixture to the heat, and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until it is very thick, another 25 to 30 minutes.
• Taste and add remaining lemon juice, if needed.
• Spoon the mixture into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Adjust time according to altitude.

BRANDIED BAKED PEARS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Peel and halve pears, leaving stems intact, then core with melon-ball cutter and toss with brown sugar in a large bowl.
• Melt butter in a 3-quart shallow baking dish in oven, about 1 minute, then add pears, turning to coat with butter. Add water to dish and bake pears, turning over occasionally, until tender and edges are caramelized, 30 to 50 minutes, depending on ripeness of pears.
• Transfer pears with a slotted spoon to a plate, then add 1/4 cup brandy to baking dish and stir with a heatproof rubber spatula to dissolve any caramelized juices. Return pears to dish.
• Whisk cream in a bowl just until thick (before soft peaks form), then whisk in remaining teaspoon brandy. Serve pears with brandy sauce and drizzle with brandied cream.