“Pear’adise” by Chris Cwierz

Yield: 12 servings

Blown Sugar Pear

• 6 oz/500 g Isomalt pearls
• 76 oz/50 g bottled water
• Yellow water-based coloring
• (Sugar will yield 12 pears; Isomalt can be re-melted and re-worked)

1. Combine Isomalt and water, bring to a boil, and clean sides of pot. When mixture reaches 280°F, add yellow color and continue to boil to 330°F. Pour onto Silpat and allow to cool.
2. Work sugar to even temperature. Take a piece of sugar about the size of walnut and work it onto blowing tube, blow a sphere, and shape into a pear; allow to cool. When cool, hollow out the bottom with a circle cutter that has been heated. The pear can be air-brushed with both yellow and red colors to add depth of contrast and texture to the pear.

ROASTED PEAR TEA-RAMISU

Roasted Pears

• 2 Bartlett pears
• 5 oz/70 g desert blossom honey
• 76 oz/50 g chamomile tea
• 07 oz/2 g salt
• 1 lemon juiced, if needed

1. Peel pears, cut in half, and core. Mix honey, tea, and salt in bowl and then combine with pears in hotel pan. Cover with foil and roast at 400°F for about 35 minutes. You are looking for some color on the pears. Cool.
2. Puree, adding a bit of lemon juice for brightness and to keep puree from oxidizing too quickly. Recipe will yield more than needed for mousse, depending on the variety of pear used you may need to add more for flavor.

“Pear” misu Mousse

• 4 gelatin sheets (silver)
• 5 oz/100 g egg yolks
• 44 oz/1248 g heavy cream
• 7 oz/199 g granulated sugar
• 20 oz/567 g mascarpone cheese
• 5 oz/70 g roasted pear puree
• 63 oz/18 g Frutta Prima pear compound

1. Bloom gelatin.
2. Whip cream until barely peaking; set aside.
3. Cook sugar with bit of water to softball stage. Pour over egg yolks, whip until doubled in volume. Add cheese and slightly warmed gelatin. Add puree and compound, and then fold in whipped cream.

Microwave Pistachio Sponge Cake

• 5 oz/440 g pistachio paste
• 7 oz/360 g fresh egg whites
• 7 oz/360 g almond flour

1. Mix pistachio paste, whites, and almond flour in food processor to combine. Place in whip cream canister, charge with to N20 chargers and chill 2 hours.
2. Process in 24 Dixie cups, cook 30 seconds in microwave and cool upside down. Cut with scissors to remove. Use 2 per dessert.

Chocolate Soil

• 2 oz/149 g unsalted butter
• 2 oz/149 g Turbinado sugar
• 5 oz/129 g all-purpose flour
• 2 oz/149 g pistachio flour
• 07 oz/2 g salt
• 7 oz/20 g Des Alpes black cocoa powder

1. Cream together butter and sugar. Add flours, salt and cocoa powder. Allow to chill and run through cooling screen. Toast at 325°F for 12-15 minutes.

Cranberry Rocks

• 5 oz/100 g IQF cranberries
• 6 oz/500 g Des Alpes Opal White Chocolate
• 07 oz/2 g black cocoa butter
• 57 oz/725 g cold water

1. Skewer cranberries and reserve in freezer.
2. Temper white chocolate. Dip cranberries in tempered chocolate and allow to set.
3. Mix warm cocoa butter a few drops at a time with water. It will float and create specks. Dip cranberries in this mixture and allow to dry.

Chocolate Twigs

• 6 oz/500 g Des Alpes 63% dark chocolate
• 2 lb/1 kg snow ice

1. Place ice in hotel pan and create some high and low contrast. Pipe melted chocolate over ice to create twigs.

Note: using melted chocolate (un-tempered) piped in thin lines creates more realistic twigs

Assembly

• Micro herbs

In glass terrarium, place chocolate soil, and pistachio sponge cake as the base. Fill pear from bottom with mousse, place pear in center, and use remaining chocolate soil and pistachio sponge to fill in the base. Use tweezers and place the cranberry rocks as desired. Use tweezers to place the chocolate twigs around the pear. Add micro herbs to enhance the garden aesthetic.