A PASTRY PARTRIDGE IN A RED PEAR 'TREE'

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A Pastry Partridge in a Red Pear 'Tree' image

This is a delicious dessert that I make... poaching pears red with a raspberry sauce, highlighted with hot fudge, 'Chantilly cream' and a charming pastry 'Partridge' and garnished with bay leaves. It not only tastes yummy but is a delight to adults and children alike. And since its nonalcoholic, children can enjoy too. It...

Provided by Nancy Judd

Categories     Fruit Desserts

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 13

64 oz bottle cranberry-raspberry juce
1 1/4 c sugar, divided
1 tsp or more red food coloring
1 c heavy whipping cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 - 1 tsp raspberry extract
1/3 c powdered sugar
1 refrigerated (or homemade) pie crust dough (from a two crush package) and a little milk and course sugar
12 oz package frozen raspberries
2 Tbsp cornstarch
8-12 small whole bay leaves
4 reserved whole thawed frozen raspberries for garnish (optional)
1/3 c warm hot fudge sauce

Steps:

  • 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold pie crust. With a small bird cookie cutter or with a sharp knife cut out shape of a small bird. Cut out at least 8-10 birds incase of breakage. Put on a small baking sheet, brush with milk and sprinkle with the coarse sugar and bake for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely. Set aside.
  • 2. Pour cran-raspberry juice into a heavy deep 3-4 quart pot. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar & red food coloring. Stir. Put on stove and bring to a boil.
  • 3. Peel and core the pears leaving the stem intact. Add the pears and simmer covered, turning occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes or until just tender. If necessary put a heavy small bowl or dish on top of pears to keep pears under the liquid.
  • 4. Transfer pears to a plate or bowl and put in the freezer for 20 minutes if serving immediately. If serving later in the day just refrigerate until ready to use.
  • 5. Put small serving plates in freezer or refrigerator to chill. In small saucepan put the package of defrosted raspberries. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. In a small cup mix cornstarch with 1 cup of the cranraspberry juice the pears were cooked in. Add to raspberries and stir and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and pour into a small dish. Chill.
  • 6. In a bowl whip cream. Set aside. In a small bowl put cream cheese, raspberry extract and powdered sugar and mix until well blended. Carefully fold cream cheese mixture into whipped cream until blended.
  • 7. Cut a small slice off the bottom of the pear to get it to stand up. Fill a pastry bag or a heavy freezer ziplock bag with whipped cream mixture. Pipe cream cheese mixture into hole of pear where core was and fill. Chill pears.
  • 8. When ready to serve drizzle hot fudge in a zig zag back and forth manner across each individual small chilled plate. Put a chilled pear in center of each plate on top of hot fudge. Make a small slit by the stem and put a bay leaf in slit. Do this with each pear. Put a spoonful of the cream cheese/whipped cream mixture by each pear. Position a 'pastry bird' on top of whipped cream. Add one or two more bay leaves by bird if desired. Garnish with 3 of the raspberries if desired.
  • 9. Serve. Pass dish of thickened raspberries. Makes 4 delicious, elegant servings.

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