Vanilla Poached Pineapple Recipes

VANILLA POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Place the white wine, water, sugar and vanilla bean and pulp into a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
• Core the pears from the bottom. Decrease the heat to medium low and place the pears into the liquid, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the pears are tender but not falling apart. Maintain a gentle simmer. Remove the pears to a serving dish, standing them upright, and place in the refrigerator.
• Remove the vanilla bean from the saucepan, increase the heat to high and reduce the syrup to approximately 1 cup of liquid, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Do not allow the syrup to turn brown. Place the syrup in a heatproof container and place in the refrigerator until cool, approximately 1 hour.
• Remove the pears from the refrigerator, spoon the sauce over the pears and serve.

VANILLA POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Make dessert in just 15 minutes: Peel, halve and core 4 pears. Put in a shallow dish with 1 cup white wine, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 strips grapefruit zest and 1 split vanilla bean. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave about 10 minutes. Serve the pears with the vanilla syrup; top with whipped cream, if desired.

VANILLA-POACHED PINEAPPLE

Steps:

• Peel pineapple, then quarter lengthwise. Cut out core, then cut each quarter lengthwise into 4 pieces (for a total of 16).
• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into a 12-inch heavy skillet with tip of a paring knife, then add pod, wine, Grand Marnier, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves, and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
• Add pineapple to wine mixture and return to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool pineapple in liquid, about 1 hour. Transfer pineapple with a slotted spoon to a 4-sided sheet pan, then boil liquid until reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 35 minutes.
• Preheat broiler.
• Sprinkle pineapple with granulated sugar, then broil 3 to 4 inches from heat until slightly caramelized and lightly charred in spots, 10 to 15 minutes (watch carefully and remove any pineapple that colors more quickly). Serve drizzled with syrup.

FLAMBEED VANILLA-POACHED PEARS WITH APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, and vanilla extract to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add 3 or 4 pear halves, reduce heat to medium, and simmer gently until the pears have just turned tender, about 5 minutes. Remove cooked pears to a warm chafing dish or metal serving dish, and continue to cook the remaining pears.
• Increase heat to medium-high, and boil the syrup until it has reduced to 1 cup. Stir in apricot preserves and return to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and stir into the simmering syrup. Cook and stir until thickened and clear, about 30 seconds.
• To serve, pour the hot sauce over the pears, and sprinkle with the rum. Carefully ignite the rum tableside with the lights turned low. Let the alcohol burn out before serving.

VANILLA-POACHED PINEAPPLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut pineapple into quarters lengthwise; cut each quarter crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, and set aside.
• Scrap seeds from vanilla bean into a skillet; discard bean (or make vanilla sugar).
• Add water, sugar, and ginger root to skillet; stir. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Add pineapple slices; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
• Pour into a bowl; cover and chill.

POACHED PINEAPPLE

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine sugar, 6 cups water, star anise, vanilla bean, and salt. Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Add pineapple, and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days.

FRESH PINEAPPLE POACHED IN CINNAMON SYRUP

Steps:

• Stir 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, ginger and lemon in heavy large pot over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring syrup to boil; cover and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add pineapple and simmer until pineapple is just translucent, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Transfer pineapple and syrup to bowl. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

RUM BABAS WITH POACHED PINEAPPLE & VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• For the babas, gently heat the milk, then allow to cool slightly so it's tepid. Add 1 tsp sugar to the yeast, then pour in the milk and allow to stand for a few mins until the mixture is foamy. Combine the flour, remaining sugar and ½ tsp salt in a bowl, then pour in the yeast mixture, eggs and the melted butter and mix until smooth and shiny. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hr.
• Butter and flour 6 dariole moulds or small metal pudding moulds. Knock back the dough; then, using your fingers, form 6 little balls and place 1 ball into each mould. Leave to prove again until the dough starts to rise over the top of the moulds, about 30-40 mins. Meanwhile, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Space the moulds out on a baking tray, then cook for 15 mins. Leave to cool for a few mins, then carefully loosen the babas away from the sides with a small sharp knife. Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
• For the poached pineapple, put the star anise, bay leaves, coriander seeds and sugar into a large pan with 1 litre of water, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the pineapple and cook for 20 mins. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then take out the pineapple, drain and set aside. Add the rum to the syrup and allow to cool. Can be made the day ahead up to this point.
• To make the vanilla cream, whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla seeds to soft peaks. Set aside, then chill until ready to use.
• Halve the babas and drench in the rum syrup until soaked through. Serve with the pineapple chopped into chunks, plus a dollop of cream extra syrup for everyone to drizzle over. If you like, you can heat the 50g butter in a frying pan until browned, cook the pineapple rings on both sides until golden, then grind over black pepper before serving as above.

POACHED PEARS WITH VANILLA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy 2-qt. saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in milk and cream until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat., Gradually add a small amount of hot mixture to egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly (do not boil). Stir in vanilla. Pour into a bowl; place a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap on top of sauce. Cover and refrigerate. , In a large bowl, combine 6 cups water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Carefully peel pears, leaving stems attached. Immediately plunge pears into lemon water. In a large saucepan, combine lemon zest, and the remaining sugar, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Add cinnamon stick, cloves and pears. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until pears are tender., Carefully remove pears to a plate. Discard cinnamon stick and cloves. Drizzle syrup over pears. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. To serve, place pears on dessert plates; drizzle with chilled vanilla sauce.

PINEAPPLE TOPPING FOR ANYTHING

Steps:

• Melt butter in skillet (I use an electric one because it's easier to control the heat).
• Add brown sugar and stir till sugar and butter are combined.
• Add pineapple and bring to a boil.
• Turn heat to medium (300°) and continue to cook till syrupy and thickened. This could take up to 30 minutes depending on ripeness of the pineapple.
• Serve warm over whatever you like.

LATTICE-TOPPED VANILLA BEAN PINEAPPLE TART

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll each disk of crostata dough into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle, 1/8 inch thick. Place 1 rectangle on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Fit the other rectangle into an 8-by-11-inch fluted rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim dough flush with top edge of pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the lattice: Remove baking sheet from freezer. Using a clean ruler as a guide, cut dough rectangle into eighteen 1/2-inch-wide strips using a sharp knife or a fluted pastry wheel. Lay 9 strips of dough on another baking sheet in pairs of parallel lines that extend slightly past the length of the tart pan. Starting in the center, weave 1 new strip under and over the strips on the baking sheet. Weave a second strip inch away, this time weaving over then under. Repeat, weaving pairs of strips across half of the tart, spacing pairs 1 inch apart. (If dough strips become too soft, return to freezer until firm.) Return to center, and repeat with remaining dough strips to form a lattice pattern. Freeze until ready to use.
• Cut each pineapple quarter crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Combine sugars, vanilla seeds and pod, and lemon juice in a large saute pan. Add pineapple, and cook over medium heat, stirring until sugars dissolve and mixture becomes saucy, about 3 minutes. Add rum, and simmer until pineapple has softened and almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool in pan. Discard vanilla pod.
• Remove tart pan from refrigerator. Spread pineapple mixture evenly on dough. Combine yolk and cream in a small bowl, and brush some along top edges of tart. Carefully slide frozen lattice onto tart, centering it over filling, and press edges to seal. Trim excess dough. Brush top of lattice with egg wash. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake tart for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, and continue baking until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. (If crust browns too quickly, tent edges with foil.) Let cool in tart pan on a wire rack. Unmold, and serve immediately.