I’ve been dreaming about this pear crumble dessert for weeks. The thing is, when I’m ill or feeling down, I dream about desserts, it’s my instant fix towards feeling better. I just take a pen and a notebook and draw desserts, design recipes, write recipes, make sketches over and over again. If you’d see my notebook, you wouldn’t understand a thing, but it all makes sense in my mind and it’s relaxing and comforting. And this is what I did a few nights ago – in the middle of the night, playing some music, I was designing desserts – someone call me crazy! Crazy for pastries that is!

This dessert is quite simple in its essence and it’s made by layering poached pears, almond crumble, vanilla ice cream (store bought as it was easier and quicker), almond tuile and a rich chocolate sauce. As you can see, the layers are simple in their core, the recipes used are basic and you don’t need any special skills to make this dessert. But the final result looks exquisite, doesn’t it?! I find this to be the perfect dessert to end a meal – it’s exquisite and delicious, rich, but not too heavy, easy to put together and it looks impressive.

Now, I know it’s not red or pink and it doesn’t scream Valentine’s Day, but I would totally see this as the end of a romantic dinner with my loved one. It does have chocolate, plenty of it.. and ice cream.. what more can you ask for?! How about you, do you prefer something more straight forward for your Valentine’s dinner or something more subtle?

{Pear Crumble Dessert}

 

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Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop

Serves:: 6

Ingredients:

Poached pears:

• 4-6 ripe, but firm pears, peeled
• 5 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cardamom pods, crushed
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Almond crumble:

• 60g butter, chilled and cubed
• 60g almonds, ground
• 100g all purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt

Almond tuile:

• 1 egg white
• 1 pinch salt
• 20g powdered sugar
• 40g all-purpose flour
• 15g butter, melted
• Sliced almonds

Chocolate sauce:

• 150g dark chocolate, chopped
• 100g heavy cream
• 50ml milk
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• In addition to this, you'll also need vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Poached pears:

1. Combine the water with sugar and spices in a saucepan. Add the lemon juice and bring to a boil.
2. Peel the pears and remove their core. Drop the pears in the boiling syrup and cook for 30-40 minutes on low heat or until the pears are tender, but not mushy.
3. When done, remove from heat and let them cool down in the syrup.

Almond crumble:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixed.
2. Spread the crumble in a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes or until crisp and golden.
3. Remove from the oven and let the crumble cool completely.

Almond tuile:

1. Combine the egg white, salt, sugar, flour and butter in a bowl. Mix well.
2. Spread a thin layer of batter on a baking sheet, giving it a round shape. Keep in mind that the round needs to be slightly larger than the top of your dessert glass.
3. Top the tuile with sliced almonds and bake in the preheated oven at 350F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
4. When done, remove from the oven and while still hot, cut 3 small holes in each tuile. I used a small round piping nozzle for this task. The idea is that once placed over the dessert glasses, the holes will allow the chocolate sauce to drip over the ice cream and crumble.

Chocolate sauce:

1. Combine the cream, milk and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from heat.
2. Stir in the chocolate and mix until melted.
3. Stir in the vanilla extract and let the chocolate sauce cool completely.

To assemble the dessert:

1. Cut the pears into small cubes and spoon them at the bottom of your dessert glasses.
2. Top the pears with a layer of almond crumble.
3. Place a scoop of ice cream over the crumble and cover the glass with an almond tuile.
4. To serve, pour chocolate sauce through the tuile.
5. Serve right away as the ice cream begins to melt.

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ROMANIAN!

Cand sunt bolnava sau nu ma simt prea bine, activitatea care ma pune imediat pe picioare e cititul ori scrisul.. retetelor, evident. Imi place sa desenez noi deserturi si am un carnetel special pentru asta, carnetel pe care nu ati vrea sa-l vedeti, e plin de mazgalituri, desene si tot felul de retete scrise iar si iar. Insa pentru mine totul are sens si ador sa fac lucrul asta. Scrisul de mana mi-a placut din totdeauna, in scoala obisnuiam sa-mi scriu temele de doua ori daca aveam timp, doar ca sa pot scrie de mana. Da, da, stiu.. loooocaaa! Insa acest obicei nu m-a parasit nici acum, mi se pare ciudat de relaxant. In plus, daca linkurile ori paginile web pot sa dispara la fel de usor cum au aparut, un carnetel de notite nu dispare la fel de usor. Ori eu am vreo 3 astfel de carnetele “imprastiate” prin casa, astfel incat, cand ma loveste inspiratia, am mereu la indemana unul sa ma desfasor. Unii ar zice ca nu sunt prea organizata, eu as zice ca asta e de fapt ordine – scrisul ma ajuta sa imi pun ideile in ordine si sa nu uit, nu de putine ori m-am trezit in mijlocul noptii doar ca sa fac o schita, astfel incat sa nu o uit pana a doua zi. Ce v-am spus?! Loooocaaaa!

Acest desert e foarte simplu in esenta lui si desi necesita cateva elemente, toate sunt usor de facut, cu retete super simple si de baza, care nu necesita cunostinte speciale de cofetar ori vreun secret numai de unii stiut. Insa e un desert foarte elegant si de efect chiar, mai ales ca toate elementele pot fi facut cu o zi inainte si asamblate inainte de a le servi. Apoi, eu ador perele si ciocolata, mi se pare una dintre cele mai elegante combinatii si am folosit-o de foarte multe ori in deserturile mele si tot nu ma satur de ea. Delicatetea perelor face casa buna cu gustul puternic al ciocolatei, iar condimentele, desi putine, isi fac simtita prezenta din belsug, caci atat perele, cat si ciocolata sunt ca doua panze albe pentru un pictor – iti permit sa creezi ce vrei tu, cum vrei, stiind ca rezultatul final va fi unul reusit!

Ingrediente:

Pere in sirop:

• 4-6 pere coapte, dar ferme
• 5 cani apa
• 1 cana zahar
• 1 stea anason
• 1 baton scortisoara
• 4 pastai cardamom
• 1 lingura zeama de lamaie

Crumble de migdale:

• 60g unt, rece, taiat cuburi
• 60g migdale, macinate
• 100g faina alba
• 1 praf de sare

Tuile de migdale:

• 1 albus de ou
• 1 praf de sare
• 20g zahar pudra
• 40g faina alba
• 15g unt, topit
• Migdale felii

Sos de ciocolata:

• 150g ciocolata neagra, bucati
• 100g frisca lichida
• 50ml lapte
• 1 praf de sare
• 1 lingurita extract de vanilie

In plus, veti avea nevoie si de inghetata de vanilie

Mod de preparare:

Pere in sirop:

1. Combinati apa, zaharul, zeama de lamaie si condimentele intr-un vas si dati in clocot.
2. Indepartati coaja perelor si scoateti casuta cu seminte. Puneti perele in apa clocotita si fierbeti pentru 30-40 minute pe foc mic pana devin moi, dar isi mentin forma.
3. Lasati perele sa se raceasca in sirop.

Crumble cu migdale:

1. Combinati toate ingredientele intr-un robot de bucatarie si pulsati de cateva ori pana la amestecarea completa.
2. Transferati crumble-ul intr-o tava de copt si coaceti la 180C pentru 10-15 minute sau pana devine auriu si crocant.

Tuile de migdale:

1. Combinati toate ingredientele intr-un bol si amestecati bine.
2. Intindeti aluatul in strat subtire pe o hartie de copt, dandu-i forma de cerc. Aveti grija ca cercul de tuile sa fie putin mai amre decat paharul in care veti monta desertul.
3. Acoperiti fursecul tuile cu felii de migdale si coaceti la 180C pentru 10 minute sau pana devin aurii.
4. Scoateti din cuptor si cat inca sunt fierbinti, taiati 3 gauri in fiecare fursec. Eu am folosit un dui de patiserie. Ideea e ca mai tarziu veti lasa sosul sa se prelinga prin aceste gauri deasupra desertului.

Sos de ciocolata:

1. Combinati frisca, laptele si sarea intr-un vas si aduceti la punctul de fierbere pe foc mic.
2. Luati de pe foc si adaugati ciocolata. Amestecati pana la topirea completa.
3. Adaugati extractul de vanilie si amestecati bine. lasati sosul sa se raceasca.

Pentru a asambla desertul:

1. Taiati perele cuburi mici si puneti-le in strat subtire pe fundul unui pahar de desert.
2. Acoperiti perele cu un strat de crumble de migdale.
3. Puneti deasupra o portie de inghetata apoi acoperiti paharul cu un tuile.
4. Turnati sosul de ciocolata peste tuile, lasand sa se prelinga in pahar prin cele 3 gauri facute in tuile mai devreme. Serviti imediat.