Thu, Dec 10, 20
“Pear and cranberries may simply be my favorite mixture of late autumn sweetness. They lend themselves superbly to the nice and cozy seasonal spices, however be at liberty to make use of apples, or in the summertime berries and stone fruit with a easy sprint of cinnamon, vanilla and lemon as an alternative. (In winter, berry cobbler is scrumptious with frozen berries. Don’t defrost first).
I like to cook dinner this in a 23cm forged iron pan as a result of it makes it the proper oven to desk dessert, or a good higher eat-straight-out-of-the-dish deal with. But it surely works simply as properly in any equal dimension spherical or oval baking dish.”
Hanna Geller of Constructing Feasts, buildingfeasts.com
For the cornmeal biscuits
- 100g chilly salted butter
- 100g plain flour
- 3 tbsp cornmeal (or polenta)
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt 3 tbsp chilly buttermilk
- egg wash – 1 egg and a pair of tbsp complete milk Demerara sugar for sprinkling
For the filling
- 4 giant agency pears
- 150g recent cranberries (if utilizing frozen don’t defrost first)
- juice from 1 orange
- 50g gentle brown smooth sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp floor cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp floor ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 30g crystallised ginger (optionally available)
Make the biscuit topping:
Grate the chilly butter on the massive holes of a field grater (I desire this to reducing it into cubes, however when you would somewhat dice your butter, go proper forward).
Place the grated butter again within the fridge to maintain it chilly whilst you assemble the remainder of the components.
In a big bowl combine collectively the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the grated butter, mixing it into the flour flippantly together with your fingertips till it turns into a crumbly texture with giant pea sized lumps of butter.
Add the buttermilk and flippantly carry the dough collectively till it’s simply combined. Don’t overwork this.
Tip the simply combined dough onto a small-ish rimmed baking sheet and flatten it right into a disc with the heel of your hand. You’ll nonetheless see items of butter. Reduce 9 discs from the dough (about 5-7cm in diameter – a glass or a cutter works properly) and place them within the freezer for an hour or two. Be aware: You’ll solely want 7 for a 23cm pan however its all the time good to carry the scraps again collectively and reduce a pair extra simply in case…..
When you’re able to bake, preheat your oven to 180C (350F).
Quarter, peel, core and slice the pears into 1cm items. I do that alongside the quick aspect not in lengthy lengths as I discover they maintain their form a bit of higher this manner.
Place them into your baking dish of selection. Scatter the cranberries and the remaining components and toss in order that all the things is integrated.
Take away the biscuit discs from the freezer and place on prime of the fruit, leaving a bit of hole in between.
Brush the highest of every biscuit with the crushed egg and milk combination and sprinkle with the Demerara sugar. Bake for 40-45 minutes till the tops are golden and the fruit is effervescent beneath.
Serve with flippantly whipped cream or a dollop of creme fraiche.
Hanna Geller of Constructing Feasts, buildingfeasts.com