This is a triple dessert. You can prepare it as in my
presentation or you can use just one of the three and even so have a fabulous dessert:
pears in wine, apples pancakes or custard.
Pears in wine, apples pancakes and custard
Ingredients for the pears in wine:
4 small ripe william pears, peeled
400 ml of red wine
200 ml of water
80 gr of sugar
the skin of 1/2 orange
1 vanilla stick, graven by its length
1 cinnamon stick
1 clove
4 grains of pink pepper
a small piece of fresh ginger, 2 cm (or 2 pinches of
ginger powder)
1 pinch of nutmeg
How to prepare the pears in wine:
Put all the ingredients, apart from the pears, in a pot (choose
a pot of medium size, in order for the pears to be covered by the liquid when
you will add them), cover with a lid and bring to the boil. When the liquid
starts to boil, add the pears and cook slowly for 15-20 minutes, until the pears
are tender.
Remove from the stove. Let cool and then put in the
fridge for 12 hours.
Take the pears out of the liquid. Put the pot with the
liquid back on the stove and boil until it will become like syrup (this might
take around 15 minutes, but be careful because you risk to burn the sugar if
you boil it too long). Then filter the liquid and discard the spices.
If you like to serve the pears on their own, prepare four
individual bowls with a pear each and 2-3 spoons of wine syrup on the top.
Ingredients for the apples pancakes:
4 French (thin) pancakes
2 apples, peeled and diced
2 tbsp of sugar
1 knob of butter
1 cinnamon stick
4 tbsp of water
How to prepare the apples pancakes:
Put the apples, the sugar, the butter, the cinnamon and
the water in a small pot. Cook covered on medium heat until the apples are
tender. Then take the lid and cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the
liquid. Take the pot from the stove and let cool.
Discard the cinnamon stick. Put 2-3 spoons of apples in
the middle of each pancake and fold them in order to form four small packets. Put the small packets on a backing tray
covered with backing paper. Heat in the oven at 180⁰C for 5 minutes.
If you like to serve the apples pancakes on their own,
prepare for individual plates with a pancake each. Then sprinkle with icing
sugar.
Ingredients for the custard:
300 ml of milk
3 egg yolks
80 gr of sugar
3 tbsp of all-purpose flour
1/2 vanilla stick, graved by its length
How to prepare the custard:
Put the vanilla stick and the milk in a saucepan. Heat
the milk on the stove until it will start to boil, then switch off and let it
cool for 10 minutes, and then discard the vanilla stick. In a large microwave-proof
bowl whisk the egg yolks with the sugar using a mixer. Whisk them for a few
minutes until you will obtain a light yellow soft cream. Now add the flour and
whisk again. Then, whisking all the time, pour the milk into the egg cream.
Now put the bowl in the microwave at maximum power for 1
minute. Then take it out, whisk and put it back for another minute. Stir it
again and check if it is ready; the custard should now be dense. If the cream
is still too loose put it back in the microwave for a minute more. Then let it
cool.
If you like to serve the custard on its own. Prepare 4
individual bowls and pour in the custard. Decorate with two leaves of mint or a
candy cherry.
For the whole presentation:
Prepare four plates. Spread in the middle of each plate 2
spoons of custard, add one apples pancake and one pear in wine, and then
decorate with a little wine syrup.
