Name: Pear and almond pithiviers with caramel brandy sauce
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Pear and almond pithiviers; 3/4 cup almond meal; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1 egg, separated; 1 medium pear, cored; 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed; 1 tablespoon milk; icing sugar and vanilla ice cream, to serve; Caramel brandy sauce; 300 millilitre tub pouring cream; 50 gram butter, chopped; 1/4 cup brandy; 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

Pear and almond pithiviers with caramel brandy sauce

This sweet take on pithiviers sees pear and almond encased in golden puff pastry and drizzled in a homemade caramel brandy sauce. Divine!

Serves 4

Cook

30M

Ingredients

Pear and almond pithiviers

3/4 cup almond meal

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg, separated

1 medium pear, cored

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 tablespoon milk

icing sugar and vanilla ice cream, to serve

Caramel brandy sauce

300 millilitre tub pouring cream

50 gram butter, chopped

1/4 cup brandy

2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

Method

1.Preheat oven to 200°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper.

2.In small bowl, combine the almond meal, sugar and egg white. Using a mandoline, slice pear into wafer-thin rounds.

3.Cut 4cm x 12cm rounds from 1 pastry sheet and 4cm x 11cm rounds from the other sheet.

4.Transfer the smaller rounds to the trays. Top evenly with the almond mixture and pear slices. Brush the edges with the combined yolk and milk. Cover with the larger pastry rounds, pressing around edges with a fork to seal. Score the tops lightly in a criss-cross pattern as shown. Brush with the remaining egg wash.

5.Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and crisp.

6.For the caramel brandy sauce, stir the cream, butter, brandy and sugar in a medium saucepan on low until the sugar dissolves. Then simmer for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened.

7.Drizzle the pithiviers with the sauce and dust with icing sugar to serve. Accompany with ice cream.

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