Roasted Pears with Honey, Cinnamon & Cardamom

 

We were very grateful to have been able to get our hands on a fruit and vegetable box last week.  It was filled with all sorts of lovely things and I have been making sure that I make the most of everything that was in the box.

 

I have been enjoying eating the apples out of hand, and Todd has been enjoying the bananas.  One night I made us a cut fruit salad with some of the bananas, some cut up oranges, a kiwi and some coconut.

 

And of course we have been enjoying the potatoes, onions, broccoli, carrots and cauliflower in the box.  I still have parsnips and a butternut squash to make use of.  Not a problem.

 

There was a quantity of Conference pears, which can be awfully hard to eat out of hand, but they are beautiful for cooking with as they hold their shape well. 

 

Conference pears are a medium-sized pear with an elongated bottle aand are quite similar in appearance to the 'Bosc pear'. A table pear, it is suitable for fresh-cut processing. The skin is thick greenish-brown, becoming pale yellow when ripe. The flesh is white, but turns pale yellow when the pear is ripe. The texture is very fine and soft, and the flavour is sweet. They have always reminded me of Russet Apples in a way.

 

They are beautiful roasted!  Roasting softens them up nicely and really enhances their beautiful pear flavour.

 

This is not so much a recipe as it is a technique which you can apply to any quantity of the hard fleshed fruit. In fact you really want hard fruits for this as they stand up better in the roasting, and hold their shapes well.

 

To do this I peel the fruit and then I scoop out the seed portion of the fruit using  a metal measuring spoon, or a melon baller if you have one. This leaves a little bowl shape, which is perfect for filling with things  . . .  like little nobs of butter  . . .

 

I lay them out on a baking sheet, lined with paper, cut side up and do just that.  Pop a little knob of cold butter into each bowl.

 

It is probably not more more than 1/4 tsp.  We are awfully fond of the flavours of cinnamon and cardamom and so we also sprinkle a modicum of ground cinnamon and ground cardamom over each pear half. I finish them off with a small drizzle of honey and then I roast them in a hot oven . . .

  

It doesn't take too long . . . only about 20 minutes or so.  I start them cut side up, roast for a bit, then flip them over, roast for a bit longer, and then I flip them and cook them just for a little while longer until they are just slightly caramelised and beautifully sticky.   These are gorgeous served with a nice dollop of thick yogurt or some cream.  Ice cream would also be very nice.

Roasted Pears with Honey, Cinnamon & Cardamom

Yield: Variable

Author: Marie Rayner

This is not so much a recipe as it is a technique.  Its great for when you end up with fruit that is rock hard.  These always turn out perfect.

Ingredients:

• fresh pears
• honey
• butter
• ground cinnamon and cardamom

To serve:

• thick plain yogurt, or pouring cream
• vanilla bean ice cream

Instructions:

How to cook Roasted Pears with Honey, Cinnamon & Cardamom

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line a baking tray with some baking paper.
2. Peel your pears and cut them in half lengthways.  Using a metal teaspoon or melon baller scoop out the seeds of each half and discard.  I also like to trim off the blossom end, although I do leave on the stems for asthetic purposes.
3. Place the pears cut side up on the baking tray.  Put a little dab of butter into the hollow in each pear half.  Sprinkle with each with some cardamom and cinnamon and then drizzle with honey.
4. Roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, flip over and roast for a further 10 minutes.  Flip again and roast until the pears are sweetly glazed, soft and golden.
5. Serve warm with some of the juices spooned over top and a dollop of yogurt or some cream, or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream of you have it.

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I can't help feeling a tiny bit sad today as this was the day that I should have had my children arriving. Oh what a joyous reunion that would have been.  It has been 8 years since I have seen them. Nevermind, with any lucky and the goodness of God it will still happen later in the year.  Stay happy, stay healthy, wash those hands and, if you can,  stay home!  

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Small Batch Cherry Cheesecake

 

My mother, God bless her, loved cheesecake.  It was one of her favourite desserts. She was only the size of a bird, so tiny that a good breeze could have easily blown her over, but she did like to eat.  I don't know what her secret was to keeping her slim figure.  I remember her asking me about seven or 8  years back did I have a good cheesecake recipe.  I did and so I shared it with her.  I don't know if she ever made it or not. I like to think that she did, and that she enjoyed it.

 

Of course with her lung cancer operation and all of the complications she had afterwards, her days of cooking were pretty much over, although by all counts she did have a fairly healthy appetite right up until she passed.  Her tastes had changed however and the things she liked to eat before, she no longer enjoyed.  Funny how that goes.  I suppose it was the dementia.

 

Cheesecake is not something I make really often.  With there only being two of us, a full-sized cheesecake just is not practical anymore.  I will sometimes buy two slices in the shops, but they never live up to their promise.  That's all I will say about that.

 

I once bought a frozen Cheesecake Factory one at Costco and that was very good. It was already cut into slices that you could just take out and eat as and when you wanted them.  But it was huge and cheesecake is something we only want once in a very blue moon, so again, highly impractical as I ended up giving  most of it away.  You can't keep these things in the freezer forever.

 

This quick, easy and delicious baked cheesecake recipe I am sharing with you today ends all of those problems. It is the perfect size for the smaller family!

 

You bake it in a 9-inch  X 5-inch loaf tin. It cuts perfectly into 6 smallish wedges.  I say smallish, but really they are all any one person really needs to be eating of such a rich dessert.

 

A delicious swirl of tart dark cherry preserves is baked into the cheesecake . . .  I used an Italian brand.  (Crosta & Mollica)  It has lovely big bits of cherry in it, and I don't find it to be overly sweet.

 

If you don't like cherries, you could use peach jam, or blueberry jam  . . .  strawberry, raspberry  . . .  any kind of jam you want or desire.

 

I think you could even use lemon curd if you wanted to . . .  now THAT would be extremely dangerous for me.  Todd might not even get a look in, I am that greedy when it comes to lemon. Sad but true.

 

It works out fine however because he isn't really fond of lemon anything so he doesn't really mind if I snuffle up all the lemon goodies.

 

Anyways, back to this dessert.  Its gorgous.  Its simple to make. It is quick to make.

 

And it is just the right size for us.  If I had some sour cream I would have topped it with some and it would have been even better.

  

If you are a smaller family looking for a tasty dessert, or even if you are a normal sized family wanting something that isn't going to be hanging around for days, I hazard to guess that this dessert would be perfect for you.

Yield: 6 smallish servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Small Batch Cherry Cheesecake

All of the lush deliciousness of a full sized version, but with less temptation to resist.

ingredients:

For the crust:

• 160g digestive biscuit crumbs (fine) (1 cup graham cracker crumbs)
• 60g butter, melted (1/4 cup)

For the filling:

• 16 ounces (1 pound) FULL fat cream cheese
• 95g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
• 1 large free range egg, beaten lightly
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 9 tsp good quality dark cherry preserves

instructions:

How to cook Small Batch Cherry Cheesecake

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas  mark 4.  Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin and line with parchment paper, leaving extra on the sides to lift it out.
2. Mix together the crumbs and butter.  Press into the bottom of the loaf tin evenly.
3. Whisk together the cream cheese, egg, vanilla an sugar until smooth.  Pour into the loaf tin on top of the crumbs.  Add the cherry preserves in spoonfuls on top of the batter and then using a skewer, carefully swirl it.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. The centre will be almost set, but still have a slight wiggle.  The top should be firm.  Cool for an hour in the pan then lift out and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hour or overnight.
5. Cuts into 6 small wedges.

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We are supposed to have a nice weekend weatherwise this weekend.  Here's hoping!  Our back garden s squelching and we could use a few dry and sunny days to dry it out so that we can mow!  Happy weekend everyone! 

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Little Blueberry Puddings

 

These Little Blueberry Puddings are destined to become a family favourite.  Served warm with cream or ice cream, they go down really well. 

 

They are also very simple to make, using simple ingredients that you probably already have in your home, with perhaps the exception of some Wild Blueberry Conserve.    But take heart, if you don't have any of that, you can also use lemon curd, or even orange marmalade!

 

All are delicious!  Trust me on this. 

 

You make a simple batter, lightly flavoured with vanilla and fresh lemon zest, into which you fold some fresh berries.  I have never used frozen, so I can't say with any authority how well they would work.

  

You then divide the batter between six paper lined muffin cups.  Why the paper?  Because jam sinks and it sticks.  You will be glad that you used them.  Trust me on this also! 

 

Once you have filled the papers you swirl a teaspoon of jam (curd, or marmalade) into each and then scatter a teaspoon of Demerara sugar on top. 

 

I believe in North American Demerara Sugar is called Turbinado sugar. It adds a nice crunch to the top.

 

You then bake them in a preheated oven until golden brown.  I like to dust the finished puddings with some icing sugar.  I think a little dusting of icing sugar prettifies most desserts don't you?

 

Let them cool for a bit, remove the papers and then pop each into a dessert bowl or onto a small dessert plate . . .

 

Warm and ready to be enjoyed with lashings of pouring cream . . . 

 

A dollop of clotted cream  . . .

 

Or an ice cold scoop of vanilla ice cream  . . . 

 

No matter how you choose to enjoy these, one thing is certain . . .

  

You WILL enjoy them!

Little Blueberry Puddings

Yield: 6

Author: Marie Rayner

Moist and delicious.  Serve warm with some pouring cream, clotted cream, or ice cream!  I bake them in a muffin tin which I have lined with paper so that they don't stick.

ingredients:

• 4 TBS softened butter
• 95g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
• 1 large free range egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• the grated zest of one lemon
• 140g plain flour (1 cup)
• 60ml milk (1/4 cup)
• 75g fresh blueberries (3/4 cup)
• 6 tsp wild blueberry conserve/jam
• 6 tsp demerara sugar (turbinado)

You will also need:

• Icing sugar to dust
• pouring cream, clotted cream or ice cream to serve

instructions:

How to cook Little Blueberry Puddings

1. Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Line a six cup muffin tray with cupcake liners and spray the liners with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Cream the butter together with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, lemon zest,  and the vanilla.  Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk beginning and ending with dry  mixture.  Fold in the fresh berries.
3. Divide the batter between the six prepared cups.  Top each with 1 tsp of blueberry jam and swirl it in with a toothpick.  Sprinkle each with 1 tsp of the turbinado sugar.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
5. Let sit in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and dust with icing sugar.  Remove the papers and place each in a bowl or on a dessert plate and serve fairly warm.  Pass the cream or clotted cream, or top with a scoop of ice cream.  Delicious!

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Any leftovers can be gently reheated and served.  (As if there would be any leftover, lol)  Enjoy! 

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Creamy Rice Pudding with Cinnamon Sugar

 

I had been going to make us a coconut cream pie for dessert this Easter along with a Robin's Egg Blue iced cake roll (filled with lemon curd).  I bought the food colouring and everything, but alas . . .  without a reliable oven, this idea was a total bust!!  What to do instead???

 

I had spied a recipe for a Creamy Rice Pudding with Cinnamon Sugar in that same cookery book I got the chocolate pudding recipe from the other day and decided that since Rice Pudding is Todd's favourite thing on earth, I would make it for him.

 

How hard could it be?  Not hard at all, that's the answer! 

 

Everything simply gets mixed together in a slow cooker and the slow cooker(crockpot) does all the work.  You do have to stir it several times during the cooking process . . .  but that's not much of a hardship really . . .

 

It leaves you hands and stove-free to prepare the rest of your meal with perfect ease!  No fuss no muss!

 

On a side note, have you ever considered serving your desserts in a pretty tea cup?  They really make for a beautiful presentation!

 

Included with the pudding is a recipe for an optional raspberry sauce to spoon over top.  Num num!

 

I hadn't actually planned it this way, but I ended up with a red, white and blue dessert!  How very patriotic of me! 

 

The rice pudding itself is flavoured with a strip of orange peel/zest.  Just carve it off of a well-washed orange with a vegetable peeler.  Easy peasy.

 

You will also need a whole vanilla pod.  (you could use vanilla paste as well I think)  Don't think of it as a waste of a vanilla pod, just slit it in half before you stick it in the pudding and when done, rinse it off, dry and then stick it into your sugar canister for some lovely vanilla sugar!

 

The top of the finished pudding is gilded with a bit of cinnamon sugar . . .  not enough to take over the pudding, but just enough to give you a light hint of the flavour. 

 

Once again, I cut the recipe in half and cooked it in my small oval shaped slow cooker.   It looks like this. 

 

It is a 1 1/2 litre cooker (1 1/2 qt.)  Works a charm for all of this small family's slow cooking needs.   I got mine from Amazon a few years ago.

 

Today I made the optional raspberry sauce to serve with it.  I think a fruit sauce goes very well with rice pudding. 

  

Raspberry is very nice, as is cherry.  (My favourite is cherry sauce.)

Creamy Rice Pudding with Cinnamon Sugar

Yield: 6

Author: Marie Rayner

This version of rice pudding is not only delicious but very simple.  Just pop everything into the slow cooker and let it do all the donkey-work!  Serve with an optional Raspberry Sauce for a real taste treat!

ingredients:

For the pudding:

• 200g uncooked short grain white rice (1 cup) (I use arborio risotto rice)
• 1 1/4 litres of whole milk (5 cups)
• 95g caster sugar (1/2 cup, super fine granulated sugar)
• 2-inch piece of fresh orange rind/zest in one piece
• 1 vanilla bean

For the Cinnamon Sugar:

• 2 TBS caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the raspberry sauce:

• 150g frozen raspberries (5 1/2 ounces)
• 45g sugar (1/4 cup)
• 1 TBS water

instructions:

1. To make the rice pudding, measure everything for the pudding into the bowl of a 4 1/2 litre (18 cup) slow cooker/crock pot.  (I like to split the vanilla pod in two first.)  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, stirring several times.  Remove and discard the orange zest and the vanilla pod. (I like to rinse the pod off, dry and then stick it into my sugar bowl.)
2. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar topping and sprinkle over top.
3. To make the raspberry sauce,  stew the raspberries together with the water and sugar in a saucepan until softened.
4. Serve the pudding warm, with the cinnamon sugar on top and with the raspberry sauce (if using) drizzled over each serving.  A drizzle of cream is also nice.

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This really went down a real treat. Todd was in pudding heaven!  I had a tiny taste (I am trying to stay away from sugar) and I have to say it is really delicious.  Not over the top sweet.  Just right!  Happy Easter! 

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