ABOUT:
From Bon Appetite Magazine
SERVINGS:
Makes 6
INGREDIENTS:
Pears:
1 750 ml bottle dry white wine
2 cups sugar
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tbs grated orange peel
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
8 whole cloves
6 firm but ripe Bosc pear, peeled and cored
Cake:
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp light corn syrup
6 large egg whites
Vanilla ice cream
DIRECTIONS:
For Pears:
Combine first 6 ingredients in large saucepan.
Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Add pears and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered until pears are tender, turning occasionally, 30 – 50 minutes.
Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to platter. Boil liquid in saucepan until reduced to syrup, about 10 minutes. Reserve syrup.
For Cake:
Position rack in center of oven, preheat to 375 F.
Butter 6 ramekins.
Melt 3/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, cook until butter is golden brown, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Cool slightly.
Combine sugar, flour and almonds in processor. Blend until almonds are finely ground. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder. Add browned butter and corn syrup. Stir until mixture begins to clump together. Add egg whites, whisk until well blended.
Place 1 pear, stem end up, in center of each ramekin. Spoon scant 1/2 cup batter around pear in each.
Bake until cake is golden around edges and tester inserted into cake near center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes.
Brush pears with syrup.
Serve warm with ice cream.
