Pear & Chocolate Tart

Unusual combination, no? I have to admit, I did not think of this flavor combination -- when my husband and I were in Paris last fall, we had a wonderful tart with these elements. Then, when I came home, I discovered that pear and chocolate tarts are actually a pretty typical French dessert!

Having an abundance of pears from some Christmas fruit, I wanted to put them to good use. This tart isn't an exact replica of what we had, but it tastes similar to what I remember.There are a few steps to this tart, but it is not terribly difficult.

Ingredients:

1 pie crust

1 large pear

1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or whatever chocolate you have)

2 eggs

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and roll out the pie crust, poking holes with a fork.

Melt the chocolate using the double-broiler method, or melt it slowly in the microwave (I always scorch it in the microwave, so I just do it on the stove!). To do a double-broiler if your a terrible microwaver like me, boil water in a saucepan, and place a bowl with the chocolate chips on top, stirring intermittently. Remove as soon as melted!

While your chocolate is melting, chop the pear into slices. 

Once the chocolate is melted, spread it over the bottom of the pie crust. Arrange the sliced pear over the chocolate, making a circular pattern (very important to taste!).

Finally, whisk the sugar, eggs, and milk together until well-mixed. Pour onto the pears. 

Bake for 30 minutes, until custard has set. Serve chilled or at room temperature.  

Sugar-free Orange Muffins

When my sister came to visit recently, she told me about some delicious orange scones that she had eaten with chunks of orange peel that made them so satisfying and yummy. I decided that I really wanted to create a recipe based on her description of the scones, but wanted to try muffins instead of scones, and I wanted to make them sugar-free to make them a bit healthier. I think that I've accomplished that with this recipe. One of the best ways to reduce sugar in a recipe is to replace the butter/margarine/oil with fruit purees. It not only alleviates the need to use butter (unless you are looking for a butter taste -- consequently, this is not recommended for scones), it can also replace or significantly reduce the sugar.

These muffins would be an excellent addition to brunch, or just a nice treat after school.

Ingredients:
1 large orange
1 extra-large egg
1 1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour (could also substitute wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1 banana, preferably browned
1/2 cup natural applesauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp orange flavoring
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
cooking spray

Makes approximately 8 muffins.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, smash the banana using a potato masher or fork (I used my hands!) until it is very creamy. Stir in the applesauce until well combined. Cut the orange into quarters, and squeeze in as much juice as possible, being sure to pick out any seeds. Add the orange flavoring

Add the egg, and whisk until all liquid is well blended, and the mixture bubbles slightly.

In a separate bowl, mix together the remainder of the ingredients.

Cut a few pieces of the rind and chop into small bits. Add about a tablespoon to the dry ingredients.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients carefully, until just combined. Overmixing will make them tough!

Spray a muffin tin, and fill the cups with the batter. Bake for 25 minutes.

Cool on a cooling rack in the pan, remove muffins carefully.

French Bread

Yes, you can make your own French bread! It takes some planning, like most bread, but the payoff is incredible. Unlike its cousins that decorate the bakery case at your local grocery store,  this bread has incredible flavor and wonderful texture.  The hardest part of this bread is being patient and allowing the yeast to work. It takes about 3 1/2 hours, but most of that time is inactive.

Ingredients:

Will make one large loaf of bread.

1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
3 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water (not hot! it will kill the yeast)
1 tsp sugar or honey
1 egg
cooking spray

Mix 1 cup of the AP flour with the salt and yeast, then add the warm water, then mix in the rest of the flour and sugar slowly, until the dough forms a stiff ball.

Sprinkle some flour onto a cutting board, and knead the bread for a few minutes, carefully turning and folding the dough, which will wake up the yeast. Shape it into a ball, then spray a clean bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in it, turning over once.

Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 2 hours.

When the dough has risen, roll it out onto the floured cutting board, flatten the bread slightly, and cover with the plastic wrap.

Let the bread rise for 10 minutes.

Spread the dough using a rolling pin or your hands to be approximately 6" X 10". Roll the dough up, and placed it seam side down. Round the ends and tuck them under to achieve the French bread shape.

Whisk the egg, and brush it onto the dough liberally. Cover with a clean tea towel, and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

When the dough has risen, remove the towel. Use a knife to cut four shallow slits into the top of the dough.

Bake the bread for 20 minutes, cover with the egg wash again, then bake for 15 minutes. Bread will be very sturdy and golden, with a hardy crust and soft inside.

Cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then slice and enjoy.