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Or perhaps the title of this article should be “How to Exotically Cook Pears”. As I walk through our small orchard which consists of about 30 or so trees which bear us apples, pears, peaches, cherries, and a variety of plums I can see that this year will be a bumper crop, especially of pears.
Tuscany is one of my favorite places and the last time I was there I discovered a wonderful desert made with pears called “Crema agli Amaretti” or in English “Cream with Amaretti”.
I refer to it as “Pears with a Taste of Tuscany” and soon I will be able to make it with our own fresh pears. I like this because I can make it in advance and I can get a lot of “wow’s, Oh’s and Umm’s” out of our guests.
I love the words “mise en place” which refers to preparing things ahead of time and having them ready in small dishes to use as you cook. This is a good procedure to use when you make this recipe. Plus this recipe calls for the use of 3 different size pans and a couple or three bowls which sounds like a lot and a lot of work or mess. It is not if you “keep an easy kitchen” and put each pan or bowl in the dishwasher once you are done with it. This pear recipe is worth every bit of effort and it serves 6, takes about 15 minutes of prep time and about 1 hour of cooking time and it can all be done ahead of time.
On a tray or my counter I set out the following: ½ cup water, ½ cup dry white wine, 1 bay leaf, zest of ½ of lemon, 1 cup of sugar, ½ cup Amaretto or Grand Marnier, 6 Amaretti cookies that I have crumbled, (I just put them in a small plastic bag and bang them once or twice with my wooden rolling pin), 2 cups of heavy cream and 6 small Bosc pears. (You can use any other pears that are firm) cored from the bottom leaving the stems on top.
I take a medium sized sauce pan (make sure this is a non-reactive sauce pan) and combine the water, wine, lemon zest, bay leaf and ½ cup of sugar and I bring it all to a boil over high heat. Now I add the pears, cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer until pears are tender when pierced with the point of a sharp knife and the time is usually about 40 to 45 minutes. During this time I baste the pears several times with the cooking liquid.
Taking a slotted spoon I transfer the pears to a plate and allow them to cool.
Next I put the remaining ½ cup of sugar into a heavy bottom sauce pan and stir constantly over medium heat until the sugar begins to foam around the edges. I continue to cook without stirring at this point until it all turns dark brown and caramelizes.
During this time I take a small sauce pan and heat 1 cup of the heavy cream over low heat. Carefully and I mean with extreme caution I stir the hot cream into the caramelized sugar a little at a time to avoid spattering which will hurt like heck on your skin, trust me, been there, done that!
Now I stir in the liqueur and transfer the whole thing to a bowl to cool completely.
I whip up the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream in a medium size bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until I have soft peaks. Now I gently sold in the liqueur-flavored cream and cover the bowl and put in the refrigerator until I am ready to serve.
Taking an individual serving plate I stand each pear upright, one on a plate and spoon the chilled cream over the pears. I next sprinkle the crushed amaretti cookies on top and serve immediately.
Just sit back and take a few bows. I love to serve this desert with nice cold Prosecco which is a dry Italian sparkling wine.
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries and to take a walk through her pictorial garden or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books, including her new book, “The ABC’s of Wine and Beer Making”. Many of her articles written for Greenthumbarticles have paintings she has created of the subject and they can be seen at her “How to Do It” site. Remember to check out her artwork, especially of her fruits and vegetables. Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site.”
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