Pear And Fig Strudels With Ginger Cream Recipes

Steps:

• Combine 1/4 cup water, ginger, and sugar in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer until mixture is syrupy, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Using electric mixer, beat cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Fold in ginger mixture. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Steps:

• In a saucepan large enough to hold all the pears snugly, combine the water, sugar, ginger root, and vanilla bean. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and then increase the heat so that the liquid is simmering. Add the pears and poach them for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally so that they are evenly covered by the syrup. The pears should be tender enough so that they can be easily pierced with a toothpick, and the cooking time will depend on their ripeness. Let cool, and refrigerate.
• In a food processor, process the almonds and the sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and flatly ground. Do not overprocess.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Sift the almond powder and the flour over the top and combine to beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing the first one in thoroughly before adding the second. Add the rum and mix in thoroughly.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly oil a large baking sheet. Halve the poached pears and scoop out the cores. Slice each half pear thinly lengthwise and set aside, keeping together in their original shape. Unroll the phyllo and cut it into 4-inch wide stacks. Separate the leaves of pastry and lay one single strip on the counter. Brush it with melted butter, and continue until you have a stack of 6 strips, buttering each one. Repeat until you have 6 stacks of buttered phyllo strips. Using a spatula, spread a layer of almond cream 1/4-inch thick on the top layer of each phyllo stack. Slightly fan out a pear half on one end of each stack and roll the stack over about 1 1/2 times to form a flat strudel package. Brush the outside of the strudel with butter, and repeat with the remaining 5 pear halves and phyllo stacks. Transfer the strudels to the baking sheet. (at this point the strudels could be refrigerated for up to 12 hours before cooking)
• Bake the strudels for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Cut them in half and place with cut sides up in the center of each of 6 dessert plates. Place a scoop of chocolate sorbet on the side and serve it at once

Steps:

• Prepare the filling first. Melt first measure of butter.
• Add lemon rind and juice, almonds, ginger and sugar.
• Peel and finely slice pears.
• Add to butter mixture and stir gently so that the pear pieces are coated with mixture. Set aside. Melt the second measure of butter.
• Combine ground almonds and ginger.
• Remove filo pastry from packet. Place on a flat surface and cover with plastic wrap so the pastry doesn't dry out. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Take the first sheet of filo and place it on the tray.
• Brush pastry with melted butter and sprinkle with some ground almond mixture. Lay another sheet of pastry on top of the first, brush with butter and sprinkle with ground almond mixture. Continue using all the pastry sheets and all the ground almond mixture. On the last sheet of pastry brush butter around edge of pastry in a 4cm-wide strip.
• Position prepared pastry on baking tray so that you have one of the shorter borders near you.
• Place the pear filling on the pastry keeping the mixture 4cm from the sides.
• Cover about two-thirds of pastry with pear filling.
• Fold over the pastry at the end near you; then turn in the sides.
• Roll the strudel away from you, enclosing the filling.
• Try and end with the of the pastry underneath.
• (Do not roll too tightly as the strudel may burst while cooking.) Brush with a little more melted butter.
• Sprinkle the top with sliced almonds and brush with butter again.
• Bake at 180 C for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden brown.
• If pastry starts to dry out during cooking, brush once more with butter.
• Allow to cool 10 minutes on the baking tray before sliding onto a serving plate. Serve hot or cold, dusted with icing sugar and whipped cream.
• (Paulines Notes:---Use a serrated knife to slice the strudel with a gentle saw movement to avoid crumbling the cooked pastry. Assembling the strudel on the baking tray saves moving the strudel from the bench to the baking tray which can be difficult. Filo pastry will keep for weeks in the refrigerator. Make sure the plastic bag that it is in is well sealed.).

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Bring cream, milk, and ginger to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove pan from heat; steep 15 minutes. Whisk yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in warm cream mixture; return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 8 minutes; do not boil. Strain sauce into medium bowl; mix in vanilla. Cover; chill until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
• For filling:
• Whisk 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and mace to blend in small bowl. Whisk cookie crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in another small bowl to blend. Set both mixtures aside.
• Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add dried pears and pear brandy. Cover and simmer until brandy is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Mix in fresh pears and lemon peel. Sauté until pears are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture. Bring to boil and cook until filling thickens, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes; cool completely.
• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface (keep remaining phyllo covered with damp towel). Brush phyllo with melted butter. Top with second phyllo sheet; brush with butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon gingersnap crumb mixture. Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets, butter and crumb mixture. Top with phyllo (8 sheets total); brush with butter. Starting 2 inches in from 1 long side and 21/2 inches in from 1 short side, spoon half of filling in 3-inch-wide by 12-inch-long log parallel to long side. Fold short sides over ends of filling; butter folded edges. Fold nearest long side of phyllo over filling and roll up strudel, enclosing filling. Transfer strudel to prepared sheet, seam side down. Brush with butter. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make second strudel. Place on same sheet, spacing 3 inches from first strudel. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake strudels until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cut each on diagonal into 6 slices and serve warm or at room temperature with cold ginger sauce.