Valentine's Day dessert recipes

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POIRE DE VIN A LA NORMANDY (POACHED PEAR COOKED IN WINE)

1 17-ounce package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

1 recipe pastry cream (see below)

1 recipe poached pear (see below)

1 egg plus 2 tablespoons water mixed together

Prepare pastry cream and let cool. Prepare poached pear and chill. Reserve poaching liquid.

To assemble dessert: Cut poached pear in half, cut out stem and fan the pear by carefully slicing six slices from the top to the bottom, starting about 1/4 inch from the top.

Cut six pear shapes from the thawed puff pastry with pear-shaped cookie cutter.

Using one puff pastry pear shape, place 1 tablespoon pastry cream in the middle. Lay the fanned pear on top of the pastry cream, face down. Brush egg-water wash on the puff pastry that is exposed. Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 375 degrees or until pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, reduce the remaining poaching liquid and brush on baked pear. This dessert can be made early and heated in the oven for a few minutes.

Yield: 6 pastries

-- Colleen Demsey, Manhattan's restaurant

POACHED PEAR

3/4 cup ruby port wine

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cinnamon stick

2 whole cloves

Dash of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 Bartlett pears

Peel pears and core with a melon baller from the bottom, leaving the stem intact. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients except pears. Bring to a boil on medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add pears, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until pears can be easily pierced with a knife. Remove from liquid. Cover and chill until cool. Reserve for Assembling.

Reserve poaching liquid to be reduced while the baked pear is cooling.

Yield: 6 poached pear halves (3 whole pears)

-- Colleen Demsey, Manhattan's restaurant

PASTRY CREAM

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon butter

Combine milk, vanilla and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. In a bowl, beat egg yolks with remaining sugar until thick. Sprinkle flour and cornstarch into mixture and continue beating until well-mixed. Beat half the hot milk into the yolk mixture. Return it to the remaining hot milk and bring to a boil very quickly, whisking to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool. Rub top of cream with butter to prevent a skin from forming. Cover with plastic wrap and cool completely.

Yield: 1 cup

-- Colleen Demsey, Manhattan's restaurant

CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE FOR TWO

15-inch round baking pan, which holds 2 cups

For the Souffle:

2 1-ounce squares semisweet chocolate

2 eggs, separated

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Sauce:

2 1-ounce squares semisweet chocolate

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon orange extract, optional

To make Souffle: Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the oven rack in the middle position. Melt 2 squares of chocolate in microwave or over low heat in saucepan. Set aside to cool.

Separate egg whites from yolks and place them in separate bowls. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks. Set aside.

Add sugar and vanilla to yolks and beat with an electric mixer or whisk for 1 minute, or until thick and light yellow. Add melted chocolate to yolk mixture a little bit at a time, and mix thoroughly. Fold in egg whites until no white is showing.

Pour the mixture into a 5-inch round (2-cup) ungreased baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until the souffle has risen and the top is firm. Remove from oven.

To make the Chocolate Sauce: While the souffle is baking, melt two squares of chocolate. Gradually add cream, mixing thoroughly, then mix in orange extract. If you want a thinner sauce, add a teaspoon or more of cream. Immediately after removing souffle from oven, pour chocolate sauce over it and serve with two spoons.

Yield: 2 servings

-- "Come One, Come All," by Lee Svitak Dean

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)

Must credit the Toledo Blade
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