Puff Pastry Couronne With Poached Pears Recipes

PUFF PASTRY COURONNE WITH POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Make the pastry cream: Bring milk, heavy cream, vanilla seeds and pod, and 2 1/4 teaspoons granulated sugar to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; discard vanilla pod.
• Meanwhile, whisk remaining 2 1/4 teaspoons granulated sugar and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Whisk in egg yolks. Gradually add one-third of the hot milk mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in half the remaining milk mixture, then return the entire mixture to saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Strain pastry cream through a fine sieve into a bowl. Whisk in butter. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the poached pears: Bring granulated sugar, 3 1/2 cups water, and vanilla seeds and pod to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add pears. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover with a round of parchment, and cook until pears are just tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 30 minutes. Let pears cool in syrup, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the tart shell: Roll out puff pastry to a 10-by-11-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Press an inverted 10-inch fluted tart pan into the pastry to cut out a round. Using a paring knife, score a 9-inch circle (without cutting all the way through) inside the round, making a 1-inch border. Prick inner circle all over with a fork. Brush outer edge with egg wash. Slide pastry onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake pastry until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
• Assemble the tart: Remove pears from syrup using a slotted spoon, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spread pastry cream onto inner circle of tart shell. Fan pears and tangerine over top, alternating every 2 pear slices with a tangerine segment. Sprinkle with superfine sugar. Hold a small handheld kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle 3 inches from sugar topping. Move flame back and forth until sugar melts and turns golden brown. (Alternatively, heat broiler and bake pie on top rack until sugar starts to brown, about 2 minutes.)

POACHED PEAR PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Prepare cartouche, also known as parchment paper lid.*
• Slice off about ¼-inch from bottom of pear to create a stable flat surface. Core pears from the bottom. Peel pears, leaving stems intact. Set aside.
• In a medium heavy-bottomed sauce pot bring combine water, sugar, honey, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla bean. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
• Gently submerge pears on their side in pot. Cover with cartouche. Simmer for about 15 minutes, flip pears halfway through cooking, until pears are tender. NOTE: Be careful not to overcook pears. Pears will continue to "cook" after simmering.*
• Remove pot from heat. Cool pears to room temperature in the poaching liquid. Transfer to airtight container and let pears soak in liquid overnight in fridge.
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg, heavy cream, and salt until smooth. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Remove chilled pears from poaching liquid. Place pears on paper-towel lined plate. Set aside. NOTE: poaching liquid can be discarded or saved for other applications.
• Unroll or unfold thawed puff pastry sheet. Cut out four squares to cover bottom of pears. Slice remaining sheet into ½-inch wide strips.
• Place pears on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush pears all over with egg wash. Encase bottom of pear with square puff pastry.
• Beginning at the bottom, wrap puff pastry strip around pear, leaving stem exposed. Repeat with remaining pears. Space pears at least 3-inch apart from each other.
• Lightly brush puff pastry exterior with egg wash. Bake for 30 minutes until puff pastry is golden brown.
• Allow to cool for 5-8 minutes. Transfer to serving plate. Garnish with drizzle of honey or dust with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy warm!

PUFF-PASTRY POACHED-PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Combine wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and vanilla seeds and pod in a medium saucepan; cook over high, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add pears; if not completely covered in liquid, add water as needed. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover with a piece of parchment, pressing it directly on surface of pears; simmer until tender to the tip of a knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer pears to a heatproof bowl, then increase heat to high and boil liquid until reduced to 2 cups. Pour liquid over pears; refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out one piece of puff pastry about 1/8 inch thick. Using an inverted bowl or cake pan, cut out a 10-inch round with a sharp knife or pastry wheel (save scraps for another use). Transfer to freezer until firm but pliable, about 15 minutes. Repeat with second piece of puff pastry.
• Use a small cookie cutter or pastry tip to stamp out a 1-inch-diameter steam vent in center of first round (this will be your top). Gently press an inverted bowl or 9-inch cake pan into center of round to create a border. Freeze until firm but still pliable, 15 to 20 minutes. With a paring knife, score 8 ovals with leaflike points from center of vent out to border to create "petals," being careful not to cut all the way through dough. Score each petal to make veins. Add additional flourishes, if desired.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in lower third. Remove pears from liquid; slice each half into thirds. Remove second dough round from freezer and shingle with pears, leaving a 1-inch border; transfer to refrigerator.
• Separate egg; whisk white in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk yolk with cream. Brush border of bottom round with egg white, and lay top round over it, pressing to adhere. With the back of a paring knife, score around edges at a slight angle in 1/4-inch increments. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Remove pie from refrigerator and brush with yolk-cream mixture. Bake, rotating once, until puffed and very golden, 45 to 50 minutes (if browning too quickly, tent with foil). Let cool 20 minutes before slicing and serving, with ice cream.

EASY PEAR TART WITH PUFFED PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
• Roll out puff pastry on a rimless cookie sheet lined with pre-cut brown parchment paper. Place a plate that has been floured on top of the pastry that is at least 1-2 inches smaller than the pastry round.
• Score around the perimeter of the plate to create at least a 1-2" "crust". Mix the apple sauce and cinnamon. Spoon this mixture across the center circle creating a base for your tart. Do not go into the crust area.
• Slice off all sides of the pears, avoiding the core, in 1 slice motions. You will have 2 large sides (the hips of the pear) and 2 smaller sides, and you will be left with the rectangular core.
• Put the hip cut pears flat side down and slice very thin, 1/8" thick slices. Keep the sliced order and arrange the pear slices exactly as they are creating an escargot pattern around the tart.
• The reserve the smaller pear cuts to create a splayed pear fan for the center. Do this by slicing the pear ¼" from the top of the pear, leaving the top intact so that you can create a fan-side cut. Place that in the center and fill in your overall design with any other of the pear slices.
• Sprinkle the sugar atop all the pear. Then beat 1 egg well in a small bowl and with a pastry brush only the crust very lightly with the egg wash, being careful not to get the egg in to the score cut or your pastry won't puff up.
• Bake for 30-35 mins until pastry are golden brown and puffed up.
• Allow to cool slightly, and then brush the pears with the apple jelly for a nice shiny finish.
• For whipped cream combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk vigorously for 10-15 mins with a wire whisk until soft peaks form, or whip with an electric mixer.
• Transfer paper and tart in one motion to a round cutting board/cheese board.
• Slice into wedges and serve with homemade whipped cream. Enjoy!

POACHED PEARS IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Combine 3 cups water and granulated sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add lemon juice, orange zest, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick and ginger. If needed, trim bottoms of pears so they stand upright. Core pears from bottom with an apple corer or melon baller. Add pears on their sides to pan; cook 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally or until tender enough to pierce with a sharp knife. Remove pears from pan. Let stand until cool enough to handle or refrigerate overnight before assembling with puff pastry. Preheat oven to 375°F. Using a pizza cutter or fluted pastry wheel, cut puff pastry into 16 strips. Working with 1 pear at a time and starting from bottom, spiral 4 strips around fruit, dampening end with water and pinching pastry at top to secure. Place pears upright on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush pastry with melted butter; sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake 25-30 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Place each pear in a shallow bowl. Serve with caramel sauce and ice cream, if desired.

BAKED PEARS ON SUGARED PUFF PASTRY WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Make pastry bases:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. and lightly butter a heavy baking sheet.
• Sprinkle a work surface with granulated sugar and roll out puff pastry about 1/8 inch thick, turning once to coat both sides with sugar. Cut out 4 rectangles, each about 4 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches, and transfer to baking sheet, reserving scraps for another use. Prick pastry all over with a fork and put baking sheet in freezer until pastry is chilled well, about 15 minutes.
• Lightly butter bottom of another heavy baking sheet and put directly on top of pastry rectangles to weight them while baking. Bake pastry (between 2 baking sheets) in middle of oven 25 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown, and transfer to a rack to cool. Pastry bases may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container.
• Make pears and sauce:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. (if pastry bases have been made ahead) and lightly butter a small baking dish just large enough to hold 4 pear halves in one layer.
• Peel, halve, and core pears. Arrange pear halves in baking dish, cut sides up. Divide butter among pear cavities and sprinkle 1/4 cup granulated sugar over pears. Sprinkle lemon juice over pears and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven and turn pears so that cut sides are down. Baste pears with cooking juices and return to oven. Bake pears until tender, about 15 minutes more. Transfer pears to a plate and keep warm.
• Transfer cooking juices to a small heavy saucepan. Add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and boil, swirling pan, until mixture turns a deep golden caramel. Slowly add cream (caramel will bubble up) and simmer sauce, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir poire William into caramel sauce.
• Sprinkle each pastry base with confectioners' sugar and top with a pear half. Serve baked pears with caramel sauce.