Pie and Pastry Bible (105 page)

Remove the vanilla bean, rinse, and dry it (for future use or to use as decorative stems for the pears). Transfer the pears and their liquid to a bowl and refrigerate tightly covered, until ready to use.

MAKE THE ALMOND CREAM FILLING

In a food processor with the metal blade, process the almonds, sugar, and flour until the almonds are very fine. Empty the mixture into a bowl and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Beat in about ½ cup of the nut mixture until incorporated. Beat in 1 egg along with another ½ cup of the nut mixture. Then beat in the second egg along with the remaining nut mixture until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Refrigerate until about 10 minutes before assembling the pears.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level before preheating.

WRAP THE PEARS

Drain the pears and place on paper towels to drain thoroughly.
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Core, starting at the base but not going all the way through to the stem end. Pipe or spoon about 2 tablespoons of the almond cream into the hollow of each pear to fill it. Set the rest aside.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 375 F. • BAKING TIME: 45 TO 50 MINUTES SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
Poached Pears 4 large ripe but firm pears, such as Bartlett or Bosc		2 pounds	1 kg 58 grams
water	6 liquid cups	49.6 ounces	1 kg 418 grams
freshly squeezed lemon juice	4 teaspoons	0.7 ounce	21 grams
Poire William eau-de-vie	¼ liquid cup	2 ounces	56 grams
sugar	1 cup	7 ounces	200 grams
vanilla bean, split lengthwise	2-inch piece	•	•
Almond Cream sliced blanched almonds	(1¾ cups) 1 cup	(14 ounces) 3.5 ounces	(400 grams) 100 grams
sugar	½ cup	3-5 ounces	100 grams
bleached all-purpose flour	2 tablespoons	0.63 ounce	18 grams
unsalted butter, softened	7 tablespoons	3.5 ounces	100 grams
2 large eggs, at room temperature	3 fluid ounces	3.5 ounces	100 grams
pure vanilla extract	½ teaspoon	•	•
fillo, preferably fresh (see page 365)	8 sheets	5.25 ounces	150 grams
melted butter, preferably clarified (see page 629)	8 tablespoons	4 ounces approx. 3.5 ounces 114 grams 97.5 grams (clarified)
sugar	3 tablespoons	1.3 ounces	37 grams
optional: Vanilla Custard Sauce (page 606) and Raspberry Sauce (page 603)	½ cup approx. 2 tablespoons	• •	• •

Lay the stack of fillo on the counter and keep it well covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Lay a piece of fillo on the counter and brush it with about 2 teaspoons of melted butter. Sprinkle it with ½ teaspoon of the sugar. Fold it in thirds, like a business letter. Repeat with a second fillo sheet. Lay this sheet on top of the first sheet to form a cross. Brush the edges with melted butter and spread 4 to 5 tablespoons of the almond cream filling evenly over the rest of the dough. Set a pear upright in the center of the fillo cross. Bring the four arms of the cross over the top of the pear, smoothing the sides against the pear, and tie the top of the fillo loosely together with twine. Repeat with the remaining pears and fillo.
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Set each fillo package on a square of aluminum foil large enough to come up to the top of the pear. Bring up the foil to encase the fillo, pressing it against the bottom of the pear but leaving it loose and wide open at the top. Set the pears, evenly spaced, on the baking sheet(s) and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. After the first 20 minutes, open the foil completely, crimping it if necessary to expose the fillo, but make a small foil cap for each top so that it doesn’t burn. Remove the pan(s) to a wire rack to cool for 20 to 30 minutes, then remove and discard the twine.

If desired, place a small piece of vanilla bean, reserved from the poaching, at the top of each pear as a stem. Serve warm, accompanied, if desired, by vanilla custard sauce (made with pear liqueur, or vanilla ice cream made with pear liqueur instead of vodka) and decorative drizzles of raspberry sauce. Use a pancake turner to lift the pear dumplings to the serving plates.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

To prevent separation while mixing, the butter and eggs for the almond cream must not be cold.

UNDERSTANDING

During poaching and cooling, the parchment keeps the tops of the pears moistened, as they tend to bob up to the surface, and prevents browning by oxidation (exposure to air).

The poaching syrup has double the water and sugar of that for poached pear halves baked in almond cream (see page 260). More water is needed to cover the pears and more sugar is needed because, unlike almond cream, the fillo has very little added sugar.

Although the filling gets baked and set, the pears do not become mushy because they are insulated by the fillo.

The foil prevents the almond filling from leaking through the fillo before it has set. Once it is removed, the fillo browns perfectly. As the pears are baked standing up, the upper part tends to brown more, making it desirable to bake them in the lower part of the oven.

SYRIAN KONAFA

T
he pastry component of this layered Syrian dessert is shredded fillo, called
konafa
(thin wiry strands of fillo dough, called
kadaif
by Greek and Turkish cooks). The shredded fillo on top stays crunchy, the bottom becomes chewy and moist with the rose-scented syrup. In between, there is a ricotta filling.

Unlike most layered desserts, this one is very simple and uncomplicated to prepare. The only effort is to find the konafa and the rose water. (To order konafa by mail, see page 675.) The dough keeps for 2 months, refrigerated.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 350°F. • BAKING TIME: 25 TO 30 MINUTES MAKES: SIXTEEN 2-INCH SQUARES
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
*Most containers are only 15 ounces, rather than 16, but this is fine.
Fragrant Rose Syrup	(1½ cups)	(14.7 ounces)	(420 grams)
sugar	1½ cups	10.5 ounces	300 grams
water	½ liquid cup	4 ounces	118 grams
Lyle’s Golden Syrup (refiner’s syrup) or light corn syrup	1½ teaspoons	0.3 ounce	10 grams
freshly squeezed lemon juice	½ teaspoon	•	•
rose water (see page 638)	½ teaspoon	•	•
konafa	•	8 ounces	227 grams
milk	liquid cup	approx. 2.75 ounces	80 grams
heavy cream	½ liquid cup	4 ounces	116 grams
sugar	1 tablespoon	approx. 0.5 ounce	12.5 grams
cornstarch	1 tablespoon	0.33 ounce	9.5 grams
ricotta cheese	1 container*	approx. 1 pound	454 grams
rose water or orange flower water	½ teaspoon	•	•
unsalted butter	12 tablespoons	6 ounces	170 grams

EQUIPMENT

An 8-inch square glass baking pan or a 10- by 2-inch round cake pan

MAKE THE FRAGRANT ROSE SYRUP

In a medium saucepan, stir together all of the syrup ingredients except the rose water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixtures comes to a boil. Stop stirring, reduce the heat, and boil the mixture for 5 minutes. (The temperature will be 225°F.) Pour the syrup into a 2-cup heatproof glass measure or bowl and refrigerate it.

When the syrup is cool, add the rose water, stirring it in very gently. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep the syrup refrigerated.

In a large bowl, using your fingers, gently pry apart the strands of konafa. Set the bowl aside.

In a medium saucepan, stir together the milk, cream, sugar, and cornstarch until very well mixed. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and boil, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover the surface of the mixture with greased plastic wrap to prevent a skin, and cool it completely.

When the mixture is cool, stir in the ricotta and rose water or orange flower water until well blended.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. at least 15 minutes before baking. Set one oven rack at the bottom and one at the top of the oven before preheating.

In a small saucepan over low heat, or in a heatproof glass container in the microwave, heat the butter just until melted fully. Pour the butter over the konafa and, with your fingers, mix until all the strands of the konafa are well coated.

Spread half the konafa evenly in the baking pan, flattening it with your hand. Spread the ricotta mixture over the konafa, leaving a ½-inch border all around. Top with the remaining konafa mixture.

Place the pan on the bottom oven rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bottom is golden. (If you are using a metal pan, transfer it to the top rack after 15 minutes.) Transfer the pan to the top rack and continue baking for about 10 minutes or until the top is golden, a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, and the filling shakes like firm jelly when moved.

Remove the pan to a rack and immediately pour the cold syrup on top. Allow it to cool completely, about 2½ hours.

Cut the konafa into squares. The texture is most perfect (the top most crunchy and the filling soft and creamy) the day it is made.