Snowcapped Pears

Ingredients

• 1.8 pears, firm; peeled, stems left attached, thin slice cut off bottom
• 2.750 millilitre dry red wine
• 3.15 millilitre lemon peel, julienned
• 4.2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 5.1 cinnamon stick
• 6.250 millilitre sugar
• 7.30 millilitre cornstarch, for thickening the wine syrup
• 8.80 millilitre sugar, for lemon-custard topping
• 9.15 millilitre cornstarch, for lemon-custard topping
• 10.250 millilitre milk, for lemon-custard topping
• 11.1 egg yolk, beaten; for lemon-custard topping
• 12.15 millilitre lemon juice, for lemon-custard topping
• 13.1 millilitre lemon rind, grated; for lemon-custard topping
• 14.125 millilitre cream, whipped; for lemon-custard topping

Method

1. 1.Peel pears, leaving stems attached. Cut a thin slice off bottom of pears so they will stand upright.
2. 2.In a 4-litre saucepan, combine wine, lemon peel, lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar. Bring to the boil.
3. 3.Carefully place the pears in the boiling liquid. Cover and simmer until the pears are tender.
4. 4.Remove from heat. Cool pears in the syrup. Turn pears several times while cooling.
5. 5.When cool, remove pears and set aside. Discard the cinnamon stick.
6. 6.In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and ¼ cup of the wine syrup from cooking pears.
7. 7.Add the cornstarch mixture to the remaining syrup in the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thickened and translucent. Cool to room temperature.
8. 8.LEMON-CUSTARD TOPPING: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until boiling. Remove from heat.
9. 9.Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolk. Add egg yolk mixture to hot sugar mixture in saucepan. Cook, stirring over medium-low heat, another 2 minutes.
10. 10.Stir in lemon juice and lemon peel. Remove from heat and place plastic wrap on surface of custard. Cool to room temperature.
11. 11.In a medium bowl, whip cream. Fold into the custard.
12. 12.Stand pears in a dish. Pour wine syrup over each pear. Top with custard topping.

Notes

• This dessert looks lovely if each pear is served in individual glass bowls.
• The white custard topping over the poached red pears gives the 'snowcapped' effect.