The combination of the sweet pear with the crispy filo and slight crunch from the amaretti is simply divine. The rich, vanilla-infused caramel sauce ties this dessert together perfectly. It's a decadent treat that's sure to impress all your guests!
Poached pears
Ingredients6 small firm pears that still have their stems attached. Poaching liquid700ml water 225ml red wine 115g granulated sugar 2 whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick 2 natural vanilla pods, seeds scraped out Amaretti filling125g amaretti biscuits, crushed (mix all the ingredients below to form a firm paste) 125g ground almonds 4 teaspoons sugar 4 teaspoons butter |
MethodPre-heat oven 200°C. Choose firm pears that still have their stems attached. Peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler and cut a thin slice off the bottom to create a flat surface so that the pears will stand upright during poaching. Combine the poaching ingredients together, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, remove from the heat and add the pears, return to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pears from the liquid so they don’t continue to cook. When they have cooled completely, core the pears from the bottom and fill them with the amaretti filling, dry any excess liquid from the pears. |
Pastry
Ingredients450g package of filo pastry de-frosted in the refrigerator overnight 225ml melted unsalted butter |
MethodAllow three sheets of filo per pear. Brush each sheet with melted butter, layering them on top of the next sheet, place one pear in the centre of each pastry square and pull the four corners up towards the top and pinch around the stem leaving as much stem exposed as possible. Bake the pears until golden brown, while the pears are baking prepare the caramel sauce. |
Caramel sauce
Ingredients250g double cream (& a little extra cream to thin the sauce) 250g sugar 150ml water |
MethodBring the water and sugar to the boil and boil until a nice golden brown. Remove from the heat, add half of the cream and allow for the sauce to combine to a smooth texture. Add the rest of the cream, the vanilla paste and coffee extract. Return to the heat and allow the sauce to reduce to the desired consistency. |
AssemblyPlace pears in the centre of six plates and pour the caramel sauce around the pear, serve with an ice-cream of your choice or clotted cream. |
Recipe courtesy of Little Pod
