Pear Ice Cream Recipes

CONTEST-WINNING BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a small skillet, toast pecans in butter for 5-6 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool., In a heavy saucepan, heat half-and-half to 175°; stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of hot cream mixture into the eggs; return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches at least 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon., Remove from the heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Stir in toasted pecans., Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer; freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Allow to ripen in ice cream freezer or firm up in the refrigerator freezer for 2-4 hours before serving.

BLUE CHEESE-PEAR ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the pears, wine, nectar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the pears are tender and the liquid is reduced by 1/2. Puree in a food processor and transfer to a bowl to cool. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the cream to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
• Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup of the hot cream into the egg yolks. Whisking, gradually add the egg mixture to the hot cream. Return to medium-low heat and cook, whisking, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Add the blue cheese and salt, and whisk until fairly smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.
• Whisk together the pear and cheese mixture and pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.
• To serve, scoop the ice cream into bowls, 2 scoops per person. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place 2 phyllo cookies in the ice cream and serve.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.
• Place the phyllo on a work surface and cover with a damp kitchen towel. With a pastry brush, paint the top sheet with melted butter, and lightly sprinkle with nuts and sugar. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Fold the phyllo stack in 1/2 over itself. Cut the phyllo twice lengthwise and twice across to make rectangles.
• Bake until golden brown and just crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan until ready to serve.

PEAR ICE CREAM WITH SPICED PEAR COMPOTE

Steps:

• For ice cream:
• Combine pears, pear nectar and lemon juice in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Transfer to processor; puree until smooth. Chill until cold.
• Whisk yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Bring 1 cup cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot cream into yolk mixture. Return to same saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into mixture; add bean. Stir over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 7 minutes (do not boil). Pour through strainer into bowl. Mix in 1 cup cream. Cool 15 minutes.
• Add corn syrup and 3 cups pear puree to custard and whisk until blended (reserve any remaining pear puree for another use). Chill custard until cold, at least 4 hour or overnight.
• Transfer custard to ice cream maker. Process according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to covered container and freeze. (Can be made 2 days ahead.)
• For compote:
• Combine wine, sugar and cloves in heavy large saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into saucepan; add bean. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil. Add pears; simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to medium bowl. Boil liquid in saucepan until slightly thickened and syrupy, adding any juices from bowl of pears, about 12 minutes. Pour over pears. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Discard vanilla bean and cloves (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)
• Scoop ice cream into goblets. Spoon pears and syrup over and serve.