Brie With Roasted Pears

Brie With Roasted Pears

Yesterday I posted a photo of my neighbors abundance of pears. Today I am posting two recipes using pears. The Tart recipe I have taken to co-op dinners and also used when I have entertained. I never have leftovers. My only suggestion. Find Hazelnut flavoring (from a Raleigh Products dealer) and use that instead of the almond flavoring. It then really has an enhanced hazelnut flavor. The Brie With Roasted Pear and Thyme recipe I used when I entertained recently.

Brie with Roasted Pear and Thyme

Roasted pears put a sweetly fresh spin on a perennial cocktail-party favorite.

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Directions:

One 6-inch (15-cm) round of Brie, about 17 oz (550 g)

2 almost ripe pears

1 to 2 tsp (5 to 10 mL) finely chopped fresh thyme

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Directions:

1. Cut off top rind of Brie and discard. Set Brie aside. Preheat oven to 425°F .

2. Peel and core pears, then slice ¼-inch thick. Lay on a generously buttered baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in oven for 15 minutes. Turn slices and continue roasting 10 to 15 minutes or until edges are caramelized and brown. Arrange pear slices overlapping in a circle overtop Brie. Refrigerate, uncovered, for up to half a day.

3. When ready to serve, heat in a preheated 350°F oven 10 to 12 minutes or until softened. Sprinkle with thyme and serve with slices of fresh baguette or water crackers.

Serves 8 to 10

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PEAR-AND-HAZELNUT-FRANGIPANE-TART

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Servings: Makes 10 servings.

Frangipane Ingredients:

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, loose skins rubbed off in a kitchen towel, and cooled

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Fruit Filling:

3 firm-ripe Bosc or Anjou pears

1/4 cup apricot preserves, heated and strained

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Pulse hazelnuts with 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until finely ground, then add flour and pulse to combine.

Beat together butter and remaining 1/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer at moderately high speed until pale and fluffy.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. Reduce speed to low and mix in nut mixture until just combined.

Spread frangipane filling evenly in tart shell. Peel, halve, and core pears, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, holding slices together to keep pear shape intact.

Arrange pears decoratively on filling, fanning slices slightly. Bake until pears are golden and frangipane is puffed and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Brush pears (not filling) with preserves and cool tart completely in pan on rack, then remove side of pan.

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Tart Shell

Makes 1 (11-inch) tart shell.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter,

cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening

3 to 5 tablespoons ice water

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Equipment: a pastry or bench scraper; an 11- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom; pie weights or raw rice

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Directions: Blend together flour, sugar, salt, butter, and shortening with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 3 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (If you overwork mixture, pastry will be tough.)

Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion.

Gather dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 6-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface and fit into tart pan. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang inward and press against side of pan to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom and sides with a fork.

Chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Line tart shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven until pastry is pale golden along rim, 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake until pale golden all over, 10 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack.