Baked Pear Caramel with Berry Sauce
Info
Spun sugar adds a beautiful touch, but you don't need it to impress.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
4 firm, ripe Bosc pears
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Berry Sauce
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Garnishes: fresh raspberries, spun sugar
Cooking Instructions
Sprinkle 1 cup sugar in a large heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugar melts and turns light brown. Quickly pour hot caramel evenly into 6 (4-ounce) ramekins or custard cups, tilting to coat bottom of each ramekin; set aside. (As it cools, caramel syrup will harden and crack.)
Peel, core, and chop pears. Combine pear, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, lemon rind, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat 40 minutes or until pear is very tender. Remove from heat, and let cool 5 minutes. Stir in butter, flour, and eggs.
Spoon pear mixture evenly into ramekins, pressing down lightly. Place ramekins in a 13- x 9-inch pan. Add hot water to depth of 1 inch around ramekins. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle Berry Sauce onto individual dessert plates; loosen edges of pear caramels with a knife, and invert onto plates. Garnish, if desired.
Note: To make ahead, cool ramekins to room temperature; cover and chill. Remove from refrigerator; let stand 30 minutes. Bake at 350º for 10 minutes. Invert onto dessert plates.
Yield: 6 servings
Coastal Living, NOVEMBER 2002
BERRY SAUCE:
Process raspberries in a blender or food processor 10 seconds or until pureed. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing with back of a spoon against sides of strainer to squeeze out juice; discard solids. Add sugar and lemon juice, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Yield: 1/2 cup
Coastal Living, NOVEMBER 2002
