Serves 8
The idea for this recipe came from my Grandmother who, being the frugal Scotch-German poor mountain woman that she was, never wasted anything. In this case, the mornings coffee which had become too strong was used to make the poaching liquid for the pears. Classically, red wine is used to poach fruits and, if you think about it, coffee has many of the same qualities as wine: Acidity, tannin and rich flavor. The frozen Jack Daniel’s Cream and Cinnamon Twists (which I love) came later.
8 small firm-ripe pears, peeled and cored
Poaching liquid:
6 cups strong coffee
2-1/2 cups dark brown sugar
zest and juice of 2 large oranges
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped ginger
3 inch cinnamon stick
Sauce:
1 cup poaching liquid from above
3/4 teaspoon arrowroot or corn starch
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Jack Daniel’s Cream (recipe follows)
Cinnamon Twists (recipe follows)
Garnish: Fresh orange segments and mint sprigs
Combine ingredients for poaching liquid and simmer for 4 minutes. Add pears and continue to simmer gently until pears are cooked through and tender (check with a toothpick). Remove from heat and allow pears to sit in poaching liquid while making sauce.
To make sauce: Place 1 cup poaching liquid in a small saucepan. Dissolve arrowroot in 1/4 cup orange juice and add to liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes until lightly thickened. Set aside to cool.
To serve: Fan pears and arrange in shallow soup plates. Unmold Jack Daniel’s Cream, slice into decorative triangles and place alongside. Spoon sauce around and place 2 – 3 orange segments and mint sprigs attractively around. Place cinnamon twists on rim of plates and serve immediately.
Jack Daniels Cream
Yields one 6 cup terrine serving 8 or so
1/2 cup Jack Daniels whiskey
2/3 cup sugar
8 egg yolks
2-1/2 cups heavy cream, lightly whipped to form soft peaks
Combine Jack Daniels and 1/3 cup sugar and boil for 3 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks until light in color. Gradually beat in remaining sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Mix in cooled Jack Daniels, sugar mixture. Gently fold in whipping cream.
Line terrine with plastic and fill with mixture. Cover top with plastic wrap and freeze for 6 hours or overnight. To serve: Unmold and cut into slices.
Cinnamon Twists
Makes approximately 20 twists
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch bits
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (2 ounces) very finely chopped sliced almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
In a food processor, add flour and butter and process in two or three short bursts until mixture resembles very coarse meal. Add sour cream and process briefly again until dough just begins to come together. Be careful not to overmix. Form into a round cake, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or over night.
Mix almonds, sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle liberally on a board and then roll dough 1/8 inch thick in a rectangle approximately 9 x 12 inches. Turn dough frequently and continue to sprinkle on sugar mixture so dough is well coated. Trim the edges and then cut in even strips, 1/2 inch wide.
Gently pick up ends of strips and twist 2 or 3 times to form a corkscrew shape. Place on an aluminum or parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes or until twists are brown and crisp. Cool and store airtight or frozen. Best used the same day they are baked.
John Ash © 1996