Pear Melba Dumplings Recipes

PEAR MELBA DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and cornstarch. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add the water, tossing with a fork until pastry forms a ball. On a floured surface, roll into a 21x14-in. rectangle. Cut into six squares. , Place one pear in center of each square. Pack pear centers with brown sugar; sprinkle with cinnamon. Brush edges of squares with milk; fold up corners to center and pinch to seal. , Place in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Brush with milk; sprinkle with sugar. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown., For sauce, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Add raspberries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. Serve warm over warm dumplings with ice cream if desired.

PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• Put the water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla pod into a wide saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring the pan to the boil and let it bubble away for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to a fast simmer.
• Cut the peaches in half, and if the stones come out easily then remove them, if not then you can get them out later. Poach the peach halves in the sugar syrup for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Test the cut side with the sharp point of a knife to see if they are soft, and then remove them to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• When all the peaches are poached, peel off their skins and let them cool (then you can remove any remaining stones). If you are making them a day in advance then let the poaching syrup cool and then pour into a dish with the peaches. Otherwise just bag up the syrup and freeze it for the next time you poach peaches.
• To make the raspberry sauce, liquidize the raspberries, confectioners' sugar, and lemon juice in a blender or a food processor. Sieve to remove the pits and pour the puree into a jug.
• To assemble the Peach Melba, allow 2 peach halves per person and sit them on each plate alongside a scoop or 2 of ice cream. Spoon the raspberry sauce over each.

CHEF JOHN'S PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• Combine raspberries, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, water, and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves and berries collapse, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
• Combine 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and split vanilla bean in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Place peach halves with cut sides up in the syrup and simmer until tender, 5 to 8 minutes per side, basting with the syrup occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the syrup. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 4 hours.
• Remove peach skins and serve each peach half on top of a scoop of ice cream in a bowl. Spoon the raspberry sauce over the top. Garnish with toasted, slivered almonds.

AMISH PEACH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Stir water, sugar, and butter together in a pot over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture has a syrupy texture, 5 to 10 minutes. Add peaches to syrup; bring to a boil.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Stir milk into flour mixture until a stiff batter forms.
• Drop batter by large spoonfuls into boiling peach syrup; cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to medium, and cook until dumplings are set, about 20 minutes.

PEAR DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• 1. In 2-quart saucepan, combine water, the 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon candies and 1/4 teaspoon of the nutmeg. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture starts to boil. Remove from heat.2. Combine remaining sugar, remaining nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside.3. In medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. With pastry blender, cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 4. Combine KELLOGG'S ALL-BRAN cereal and milk. Let stand about 2 minutes or until cereal softens. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until dough forms ball. Divide dough evenly into 6 pieces.5. On lightly floured surface, roll each dough piece into 7-inch round. Place pear half, on each round. Sprinkle 1/6 of sugar-cinnamon mixture over each pear half. Gently pull dough up and around pear, molding dough around pear, sealing completely. Place in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Pour hot cinnamon syrup over dumplings.6. Bake at 375°F about 35 minutes or until pears are tender. Baste twice during baking, with syrup around dumplings. Serve warm or cold. VARIATIONS: * Substitute 6 medium nectarines, peeled and pitted, for pears.* Subsitute 6 small cooking apples, peeled and cored, for pears.

SUGAR ENCRUSTED PEAR DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together pecans, honey and lemon peel. Use a melon baller to remove the cores from the bottom of the pears, then peel the pears. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the pecan mixture into the hollow of each pear.
• Lightly roll pie crust into a 12-inch circle; cut into 4 wedges. Place 1 pear on each wedge. Brush edges of pastry with milk. Gently shape dough around pears, trimming away excess dough and pressing to seal.
• You can make ahead to this point, then cover and chill up to several hours. When ready to cook, add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
• Brush pastry with milk; sprinkle all over with coarse sugar or roll pears in the coarse sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes (30 minutes if completing from chilled).
• If desired, drizzle with extra honey just before serving. Serve warm.

PEAR DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Poach the pears: Combine white wine, lemon juice and peel, granulated sugar, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla bean and seeds in medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pears, lowering the heat, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until pears are tender. If necessary, turn the pears very gently by rotating the stems with your fingertips so that they cook evenly. Remove the pears to a bowl, bring the poaching liquid to rapid boil, and reduce by half. Pour the syrup over the pears and refrigerate, covered, for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
• Assemble the dumplings: Roll out the pastry to a thickness of no more than 1/8 inch. Using a sharp paring knife or pastry wheel, cut dough into triangles (using the pear as a guide for the size). Cut as many leaf shapes as possible from the pastry scraps, and use the back of a paring knife to make the vein markings. Keep the pastry chilled on parchment-lined baking sheets until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside. Remove pears from poaching syrup and pat dry. Reduce syrup to about a cup for serving. Using a Parisian scoop, core each piece of fruit carefully, starting from the bottom to within 3/4 inch of the top; take care to leave the stem intact. Fill each fruit with some of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and dot with butter. Invert each pear onto the center of the triangle of pastry. Lightly brush edges of dough with egg wash. Bring the edges of the pastry together and pinch to seal. Garnish the dumplings as desired by pasting the leaves on with egg wash. Lightly brush each dumpling with egg wash and, if desired, sprinkle with sanding sugar. Place the dumplings on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill until ready to bake.
• Cover stems with a small piece of parchment-lined foil. Bake in upper third of oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool slightly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of reduced syrup around the base of each pear. Serve warm.

FLAMING PEARS MELBA

Steps:

• Place 12 pear halves, cut side down on paper towels.
• For the filling, combine cream cheese, sugar & enough reserved pear syrup to make a spreadable filling.
• Add walnuts, & stir to mix well.
• Spread 1 tablespoon of filling onto the FLAT surface of each pear.
• Press together each set of two halves to make 6 'whole' pears.
• For the sauce, in saucepan, blend cold water & cornstarch, then add thawed raspberries.
• Cook & stir until thick.
• Run cooked raspberries through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Keep warm.
• When ready to serve, preheat 1/4 cup brandy.
• Pour brandy on top of warm raspberry sauce, then ignite with LONG match.
• Immediately, & with a long-handled dipper, spoon flaming sauce over pears, & serve.