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Oh Pear, it’s time for another great recipe challenge. I will confess that I mostly eat my pears fresh…as is…cut into slices. YUM!!! So to take on the challenge of baking a dessert or making a side dish with pears was exactly that, a challenge.
Since I live in the heartland of the Pacific Northwest, I am surrounded by fresh pears of all varieties. Not only have I picked them to eat but I have made them into pear butter which is amazing.
This dessert is very unique as it is a blend of sweet, tart, creamy, savory and crunchy all in one. When I was thinking about a new recipe for pears I knew I wanted to step out of the box from your average crumble or bar.
For the crunch factor I created a Ginger Pistachio Granola. A quick and easy granola that adds the chew but also the flavor.
The creamy factor comes from the Honey Ricotta mixture. Adding just a small amount of honey to full fat ricotta makes for the perfect accompaniment to the pickled pears.
Let’s talk about the pickled anise pears, oh my!! The brine is a simple mix of sugar, water, vinegar and whole star anise. After coming to a small simmer to melt the sugar, it’s then slightly cooled so to not cook the pear slices but just enough marinating time to add flavor to the pear slices.
You can follow USA Pears on social media and find more inspiration @USAPears. They are also on the web for more recipes and fun at USA Pears.
Ready for the recipe:
Pickled Anise Pear and Honey Ricotta with Ginger Pistachio Granola
Serves 4
Ginger Pistachio Granola:
2 cups quick cooking oats
¼ cup oil
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ cup honey
1 cup salted pistachios, shelled and chopped
2.7 oz. jar (1/2 cup) crystalized ginger, minced
Honey Ricotta:
2 cups whole fat ricotta cheese
3 tbs. honey
Pickled Pears:
2 cup water
1 cup aged red wine vinegar
7 large whole star anise pods
1 cup sugar
3 USA Red Anjou pears
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, begin to prepare the granola by mixing together the oats, honey, oil and salt. Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven, and toss in the pistachios and minced candied ginger. Return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes. When finished baking remove from the oven and allow to cool.
While the granola is baking, mix the ricotta and 3 tbs. honey. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
Prepare the pickled pears at least 30 minutes before serving. In a large saucepan over medium heat, blend the water, red wine vinegar, star anise and sugar. Heat only until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to allow to cool slightly.
Slice each pear in half, remove the core and slice each half into 4 slices giving you 24 slices. Place the sliced pears into the brine and allow the pears to marinate for 30 minutes. Gentle stir the pears as needed so all surfaces are in the brine.
When you are ready to assemble the dessert, drain the pears. Place on pear slice in the bottom of a dessert cup. Top with some of the granola then a small scoop of the honey ricotta. Arrange 5 more slices of pear into the cup and add in more honey ricotta and more granola.
