Homemade Pear Butter

With all my talk of Bartlett pears last week, and a bowl full of ripe fruit sitting on my kitchen counter, I thought I'd whip up a batch of pear butter - a great recipe to utilize ripe pears that might otherwise end up in my compost bin.

It’s simple to prepare and can be used in a variety of ways:  I like to spread it on scones for breakfast; top caramel ice cream with a dollop for a seasonal sundae; garnish a cheeseboard with a little jar; or use it in place of applesauce in a quick bread.

And if you want to get creative: try swapping the ginger and cinnamon with spices you like best. Freshly-ground black pepper is also quite nice...

Homemade Pear Butter

Ingredients

5 pounds ripe pears

1 cup pear cider

1 ½ tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger

¼ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp.  salt

½ cup light brown sugar

1 to 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, to taste

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

Juice of ½ lemon

Directions

1. Peel, core, and roughly chop the pears.

2. Combine pears, cider, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a large heavy bottom pan. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pears are very soft. Drain any excess liquid.

3. Press pears through a food mill; puree pears in a blender; or use a potato masher to mash the pears.

4. Add remaining ingredients and cook the pureed pears over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until consistency is similar to applesauce.

5. Pour hot mixture into jars and let cool to room temperature. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Lady Apple Dumplings

One of the best things about autumn is seeing the spread of local apple harvests on display at farmers markets -- Lady Apples being one of my favorites.  This variety, also known as Pomme d’Api, is sweet, crisp, very small in diameter, and great for baking, roasting or fresh eating. (It's also sometimes confused with a crab apple.) 

If you want to give this Baked Apple Dumpling recipe a whirl, and cannot find Lady Apples, substitute a larger variety, such as Braeburns or Galas and simply halve them.

Baked Apple Dumplings

Ingredients:

Dough

All-purpose flour, for dusting

2 ½ cups All-purpose flour

3 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

¼ cup buttermilk

Apple Filling

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons golden raisins

1 tablespoon dark raisins

8 Lady Apples, peeled and cored

1 egg white, lightly beaten

For the Dough: Process flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse 8 times. Add buttermilk and pulse until dough just forms. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape dough into a flat disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, approximately 1 hour.

For the Apple Filling: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Stir sugars, cinnamon, butter, and raisins in a bowl until well combined. Evenly divide mixture and pack into the center of each apple.

On a lightly floured counter, roll out dough into a sheet about 3/8-inch thick. Cut out ten 6-inch squares of dough for each dumpling. Working with one apple at a time, place apple in the center of the dough square and bring edges together – pinching to seal the apple. Turn apple seam side down and place on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush each apple with egg white and bake until dough is golden brown and juices are bubbling, approximately 30 minutes. Let dumplings cool for 10 minutes before serving. Vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce alongside the apple dumplings are a must!

What’s in Season: Bartlett Pears

This past Saturday’s crisp and cool weather made for an enjoyable trip to Grand Central Army’s weekly farmers market, located on the edge of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Although summer’s Jersey tomatoes, sweet corn, and peaches were still abundantly available, fall produce has certainty begun making its seasonal appearance. Especially pears.

One of the most common, and delicious, varieties are Bartlett pears. When picked, they’re light green in color and have a crunchy flesh. But as they ripen off the tree, they turn a shade of bright yellow with blush red spots and their flesh becomes soft, tender, and super sweet. 

Best known as “canning pears,” a farmer I chatted with suggested peeling and poaching them with flavors like cinnamon, cloves, honey, lemon, and ginger.  He then tops them with tart yogurt and chopped walnuts—a healthy dessert or an indulgent breakfast. And I suppose his suggestion—poaching versus canning—is not too different of a cooking method, except that you get the luxury of eating them right away!

I also like swapping half of the apples in my pie filling for Bartlett pears, or roasting and blending them with a bit of cinnamon and molasses to make homemade applesauce. 

Extracting a Little Knowledge About Vanilla

Photo Credit: Nicole Franzen via Saveur

 As the most widely used form of vanilla, it’s no wonder why you'll never fail to find a bottle of extract in every kitchen pantry. And so choosing a good-quality pure vanilla extract is a good idea, as it will enhance your favorite recipes and make them taste even better. But which variety to chose?

The three most common types of vanilla extract are:

Madagascar Bourbon: Creamy, rich, and floral. This is the most commonly used of the vanilla varieties; it compliments other flavors without overwhelming them.

• Origin: Madagascar and Réunion (formally known as Île Bourbon, hence its name!) 
• Appearance: Long and skinny with a thick and oily skin 
• Uses: Baked goods like cookies and cakes; flavored beverages

Mexican: Spicy, smooth, and bold. Mexican vanilla has a similar, but stronger flavor than Madagascar, making it a great choice when you want to showcase vanilla as the main flavor in a dessert.

• Origin: Mexico (the birthplace of the vanilla bean!)
• Appearance: Similar to the Madagascar Bourbon bean, but a touch thicker and darker in color
• Uses: Cream based desserts: ice cream, custards, crème brulee, whipped/pastry cream, buttercreams, and icings

Tahitian: Aromatic, sweet, and fruity, with hints of licorice. Tahitian vanilla is less subtle in flavor when compared to the other varieties. Due to its unique aroma, this variety is also used in savory dishes and perfumes. 

• Origin: Tahiti
• Appearance: Flat and wide, but contain fewer beans and are shorter compared to other varieties
• Uses: Jams and chutneys; cream based desserts and sauces; seafood, game, and poultry dishes

To learn how to make your own vanilla extract at home, here's a great how-to video by Le Gourmet TV:

But for an easier option, you can always just purchase it, too. Some of my favorite vanilla producers include: Singing Dog Vanilla, Penzeys Spices, and HawaiianVanilla Co.