I needed a quick and easy dessert for ten people last night, and it had to be plated on the fly at someone else’s house. I thought about a fast, simple genoise cake, but having had friends over for dinner at my table the night before I wanted a dessert that was effortless. I chose one of my long time favorites: Oven Roasted Pears with a fresh blackberry sauce and chocolate flecked merengue “kisses”.
Serves 10 (quantities can be reduced according to servings required):
For the Pears:
10 medium sized pears (I used Bosc)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel, core and quarter the pears. Melt the butter in a large casserole or baking dish (I used a 10 quart Le Creuset Dutch Oven), add the pears and cook over high heat for about ten minutes or until the pears are golden brown. Keep stirring them so they are evenly colored. Transfer the baking dish/casserole into the oven for 7-10 minutes until the pears are easily pierced with a paring knife. Remove the pears from the oven, transfer to a bowl, and let them cool to room temperature.
For the Blackberry Sauce:
3 ½ cups blackberries
2 tablespoons powered sugar
juice from one large lemon
Method:
Wash and dry the blackberries. (I use a salad spinner). Reserve ½ cup of the berries for garnish. Put the 3 cups of blackberries, the powered sugar and the lemon juice in a food processor and purée. Pour the purée into a bowl and set aside.
For the Meringues:
If you’re in a real hurry, simply use store bought meringues. I usually have a large bag full of meringues tucked away in the freezer. They keep a long time, and a handful always adds nicely to the presentation of a dessert.
Makes about 80 meringue kisses, depending upon their size:
4 large eggs whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
115 grams granulated sugar
115 grams confectioners sugar
57 grams bittersweet chocolate
Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a full size sheet pan and line it with a silpat mat. (If you don’t have one, use parchment paper sprayed with Pam cooking spray) Get a large pastry bag with a star tip ready. Put the granulated sugar in a food processor and “blitz” into a very fine powder, about a minute. Transfer the superfine sugar to a bowl. Add the confectioner’s sugar and the chocolate to the food processor and process until the chocolate is pulverized into tiny flecks. Transfer to a bowl. Pour the egg whites into a mixing bowl and beat at slow speed with a whisk attachment until the egg whites begin to froth, then add the cream of tartar. Increase the speed to high and beat the whites until they form stiff peaks. Add the superfine sugar and continue to beat for another two minutes. Remove the mixing bowl with the beaten egg whites and fold in the confectioner’s sugar and chocolate flecks. (I use a large balloon whisk to fold in the sugar/chocolate because the egg whites are pretty stiff.)
Using a spatula, fill the pastry bag with the egg white mixture and pipe out the meringue “kisses” onto the lined baking sheet. As you finish squeezing out a dollop of egg white, gently push the star tip of the pastry bag into the dollop about ¼ inch and then quickly pull it away: that action gives the top a small point.
When all the meringues are piped out, place the baking sheet in the oven for an hour-and-a half. You’re not baking the meringues, but simply drying out the egg whites. They’re done when the meringue is hard to the touch. Remove the meringues from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
To plate and serve, spoon several tablespoons of blackberry sauce into the center of a bowl, add 3 0r 4 pear quarters, several meringue kisses, and garnish with a few whole blackberries.
RMA
