Pears With Raspberries And Meringue Recipes

ULTIMATE MERINGUE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 110C/ 100C fan/gas ¼.
• Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue can stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
• Tip 4 large egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
• Now turn the speed up and start to add 115g caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It's important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don't over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
• Sift one third of the 115g icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy.
• Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape. Or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer.
• Bake for 1 ½-1 ¾ hours in a fan oven, 1 ¼ hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour.
• Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.) Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream.

PEAR PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Poach pears: Combine wine, the water, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
• Carefully peel pears, leaving stems intact. Place in pan; cover, and cook, rotating occasionally, until bases of pears are easily pierced with a paring knife, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on ripeness of fruit. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath.
• Using a large slotted spoon, carefully transfer pears to a large metal bowl set in the ice bath. Pour poaching liquid through a fine sieve into bowl with pears; let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight to let pears absorb the poaching liquid.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees with rack in center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an overturned bowl or cake pan as a guide, trace an 8-inch circle on the parchment; turn parchment over, marked side down.
• Make meringue base: Place egg whites, salt, and light-brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed until well combined and no lumps of sugar remain. Increase speed to medium; beat until soft peaks form, about 9 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add superfine sugar. Continue beating until peaks are stiff and glossy, about 2 minutes more. Beat in vinegar and vanilla.
• Using a rubber spatula, spread the meringue into marked 8-inch circle on prepared baking sheet; form peaks around the edge and a well in the center.
• Bake meringue until crisp around the edge and just set in the center, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack until meringue is cool enough to handle. Carefully peel off parchment; let meringue cool completely on rack.
• Make topping: In a small bowl, whip heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Slice pears in half lengthwise; remove seeds and stems with a spoon or melon baller, and discard. Cut pears into 3/4-inch pieces, and place in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
• Bring 3 cups poaching liquid to a boil in a medium saucepan; reduce heat, and simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 1 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare another ice bath. Pour syrup into a clean bowl set in the ice bath; stir frequently until cool and thickened.
• To assemble, carefully place meringue on serving platter. Spoon whipped cream on top, and then add pears. Serve, sliced into wedges and drizzled with syrup.

RASPBERRY PEAR TART

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom., In a large bowl, combine the pears, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and lemon zest. Add raspberries; toss gently. Pour into crust. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes., For topping, in a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and lemon zest; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle over filling., Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

RICE SOUFFLE WITH PEARS AND RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• To make the Poached Pears: In a small saucepan, combine pears, water, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Poach the pears for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Slice each half into 4 slices. Reserve.
• To make the Raspberry Compote: In another small saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, liqueur, and water to a boil. Cook for 1 minute. Turn off heat and reserve.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and brush onto a 10-inch saute pan or ovenproof mold. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Set aside.
• To make the Rice Souffle: In a small saucepan, combine rice, milk, vanilla bean, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Over low heat, cook for 10 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Transfer to a mixing bowl and cool to room temperature. In a mixing bowl, combine egg yolks and powdered sugar. Beat until light and ribbon-y. In another mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar and continue to beat until firm. Fold egg yolk mixture into cooked rice. And then fold in the egg white mixture. Pour half of the rice mixture into prepared pan. Add pears and cover with the remaining rice mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the meringue. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a no. 9 plain tip. Cover the baked rice with the meringue. Sprinkle with shredded coconut and broil until golden.
• To serve: spoon Raspberry Compote onto serving plates and place rice souffle on top.

PEARS WITH RASPBERRIES AND MERINGUE

Steps:

• Peel the pears using a swivel-bladed paring knife. Cut away the stems.
• Combine enough water to cover the pears when added and 4 tablespoons lemon juice and add the pears as they are peeled.
• Cut the pears lengthwise in half. Scoop out the cores, and a little of the meat, of each half to form a nice-sized cavity.
• Combine the 3 cups water with 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and the vanilla bean or extract. Bring to the boil and add the pear halves and the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. When the mixture returns to the boil reduce the heat and cook about 20 minutes or until pears are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove the pears and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Let the pears cool.
• Put half of the berries in the container of a food processor or electric blender and blend while gradually adding the reserved 1 cup of pear-cooking liquid and the orange juice. This mixture may be used as is, but it is best to put it through a fine sieve of the sort known in French kitchens as a chinois, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. There should be about 1 1/3 cups.
• Fill the cavity of each pear with about 3 of the remaining berries. Quickly invert the pears on an ovenproof serving dish.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and gradually beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Continue beating until stiff. Spoon the resulting meringue into a pastry bag outfitted with a star-shaped tube (No. 3B). Squeeze out the meringue in star patterns over the pears. Pour the sauce around the pears. Place the dish under the broiler about 4 inches from the source of heat. Broil briefly until the tips of the stars are browned. Garnish around the sauce with a circle of the remaining raspberries.

RASPBERRY MERINGUE ROULADE (GF)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C (fan). Prepare a swiss roll tin (approx 24cm x 33cm) by lightly greasing it with oil and then lining it with non stick baking paper.
• Whisk the eggs whites with an electric whisk for approx 2 minutes until you have soft peaks (the egg white will be foamy and when you lift your whisk out some foam will hold its shape in a peak on top of the surface).
• Sift the caster sugar into the egg whites and then whisk again for a couple of minutes until the mixture is thick and glossy.
• Sift the cornflour into the bowl and add the vanilla and vinegar. Whisk again very briefly (15 seconds) to combine them.
• Use a spatula to scoop the meringue mixture out of the bowl and onto the prepared tray. Spread evenly with a small palette knife. Bake for 20 mins, on the middle shelf of the oven, at 180C (fan).
• After baking, the meringue will be puffed up and have a hard shell on the top. Set aside to cool for a minute while you take a wire rack and place a fresh sheet of baking paper on top of the rack. Carefully turn the meringue out onto the rack and baking paper. Then carefully peel off the first piece of baking paper. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
• Now roll the meringue and the fresh sheet of baking paper from the short end, without pressing too hard (we don't want to compact it, we are merely giving it the right shape) until you have a roulade shape. Leave to cool for a further 10 minutes while you prepare the cream.
• Add the mascarpone and sifted icing sugar to a clean bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour in the cream and vanilla and whisk again for a minute or so until thick and spreadable (do not overwhip or the cream can start to separate).
• Fold the raspberries into the cream and then unroll the meringue before spreading the mascaprone cream over the meringue in an even layer.
• Re-roll the roulade and placing on a serving dish. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with extra fruit if you wish, then serve immediately :).