Poached Pear Cupcakes

by 13 Comments

I'm a big fan of the delicate taste of pears, and while I don't particularly like the texture of a raw pear, I do enjoy seeing how creative I can be with them in my cooking.

Poached Pear Cupcakes

Makes: 12
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
 
  • 1 litre/1¾ pints water
  • 200g/7oz granulated sugar
  • 3 small pears, peeled, quartered and cored
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 75g/2¾oz plain flour
  • 70g/2½oz ground almonds
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • ¼tsp salt
  • 115g/4oz unsalted butter, softened
  • 200g/7oz caster sugar
  • 1tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 eggs
  • 4tbsp double cream

Frosting & Decoration:

  • 150g/5½oz icing sugar
  • 225g/8oz unsalted butter
  • 1tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  1. Bring the water and granulated sugar to the boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pears and cinnamon stick and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pears and set aside to cool, do NOT dispose of the liquid. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with paper cases.
  2. Beat the butter and caster sugar in a bowl until pale and fluff, add the vanilla bean paste and eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Add a little flour if the eggs start to curdle. Sift in half the flour and the cream, beat until well incorporated. Add the remaining flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt and mix through well.
  3. Spoon the batter into the paper cases and put a pear quarter into each. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until risen and golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl with the unsalted butter, and stir together. Add the vanilla bean paste and cinnamon, and beat until combined. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with a star-shaped tip, and pipe onto the cupcakes.
  5. Reduce the poaching liquid down until it produces a sticky and slightly runny syrup, drizzle over the top of the cupcakes.

Poached Pear Cupcakes

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This recipe comes from Make, Bake, Cupcake: The Recipe Book, which is a wonderful recipe book full of imaginative cupcake ideas for bored bakers. My personal favourites are the White Russian, Mudslide, Limoncello, Caramel Appletini, and Salted Caramel cupcakes. With easy recipes, colourful photography, and cute illustrations throughout, the book is a joy to use. I particularly like the way that the chapters are easy to find with cut out cupcakes as the markers.

Make, Bake, Cupcake: The Recipe Book is published by Parragon Books with an RRP £14.00 but is currently £5.00 on Amazon.

I was sent this product for the purpose of review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.

Linked to Recipe Of The Week, Tasty Tuesdays and Share Your Stuff Tuesdays.

Carrot Tarte Tatin

by 14 Comments

I'm always on the lookout for quick and easy vegetarian recipes to whip up, and this a super-easy one which can be prepared in advance and then only takes 15 minutes to cook through before serving with some fresh green vegetables or salad.

Carrot Tarte Tatin

Carrot Tarte Tatin

  • Serves 4
  • Preparation: 30 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 600g (1lb 5oz) carrots, cut into 2.5 cm chunks
  • 2tbsp clear honey
  • 25g (1oz) butter
  • 1tsp dill
  • optional extra: 150g (5oz) paneer, chopped
  • optional extra: 2tbsp parmesan, grated
  • 350g (12oz) ready-made and rolled puff pastry
  • plain flour

  1. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salter water to the boil. Add the carrots, bring back to the boil and cook for 10 minutes, until just tender. Drain, toss with the honey, butter and dill, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

  2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Spoon the carrots over the base of a 20cm (8 inch) tarte tatin tin or round cake ting with a depth of about 3cm (1.5 inches). Roast in the oven fr 15 minutes or until the carrots are caramelised.

  3. Mix the chopped paneer into the caramelised carrots, and sprinkle 1tbsp parmesan over the top of the mix. This is the point that the tarte can be left covered, to cook through later.
  4. Lay the puff pastry out on a flour worked surface and place the pan on top to draw around it onto the pastry, leaving an extra cm of pastry all the way around the diameter. Place the pastry circle carefully over the carrot (and paneer) mix, and tuck the excess down the sides of the tin to make a border.
  5. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden.
  6. Remove the tin from the oven, place a flat plate over the tin and turn over to release the tarte. Sprinkle 1tbsp parmesan over the top of the tarte while it is still sizzling hot, allowing it to melt slightly before serving.

Carrot Tarte Tatin

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This recipe comes from the 'Vegetarian Step-By-Step Cookbook' by Parragon. This easy to use cookbook is a fool-proof recipe book that even the most reluctant cooks could use to create vegetarian recipes. Every recipe comes beautifully laid out with a step-by-step guide accompanied by photographs. I am someone who looks at a recipe and becomes flummoxed by the bamboozling instructions; I tend to look at the ingredients and the finished product and charge ahead. This recipe book takes a nervy cook's hand and holds it gently, leading it slowly down the path to good, wholesome, family food. If I can do it, anyone can.

Vegetarian cookbook

I received this book to try out as a Parragon Book Buddy, my opinions are honest and unbiased.

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