Pear and cranberry sorbet

Using pear (poire) perry, ( pear cider ) to give a light frothy texture to this sorbet. Fabulously festive or some thing a little sassy and kight. Serve with a slice of cranberry and pear tart. A dried, crisp pear wafer and a skewer of candied cranberries. Steal a few cranberries in the early stages of compote manufacture, spear onto a cocktail stick, and dredge in icing/ confectioners sugar. Try the textures of cold sorbet, warm tart and pear crisp .

The sorbet served alone is almost healthy and not too sweet.

For the sorbet:

Recipe

2-3 cranberries fresh or frozen
2 cups of pear, peeled, cored and chopped.
1/2 bottle of pear perry, (we use Thatchers West Country)
1 cup of golden caster sugar
A few twists of black pepper

Place the cranberries, sugar, pepper and about half a cup of the perry into a sauce pan and on a medium low heat cook for 5-6 minutes, stir in the pear and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the cranberries pop. Leave to cool and then refrigerate for a few hours or over night.
Prepare your ice cream machine according to the manufactures instructions, and add the cranberry and pear pulp. After a few minutes gently add some of the fizzy perry, continue adding the perry in stages until its all combined and frozen to a soft sorbet.  Remember that alcohol doesn’t freeze so you will need to place it into a appropriate freezer proof container and firm for 3-4 hours after processing.

For the tart:

2-3 cups of cranberries fresh or frozen
The zest and juice of small orange, satsuma, clementine or similar.
1 cup of golden caster sugar
2 cups of pear, peeled cored and diced.
Shortcrust pastry case, store bought or hand made and blind baked

Mix the fruits with the juice, zest and sugar in a saucepan and cook in a medium heat for 6-8 minutes and leave to cool a little, the pectin in the cranberries will ensure a decent set. After a few minutes place the cooled filling in the case, decorate with slices of pear, and lightly bake again if required.

For the pear crisps:

Dip long thin slices of under ripe (skin on) pear slices in lemon juice to stop them from browning, then poach for about 2 minutes in gently boiling sugar stock syrup. Remove and drain on a cake rack to cool and start to dry.  Place the slices onto a non stick baking sheet and place in a cool oven to dry, open the oven door from time to time to allow any steam to escape. There are lots of variables based on the pears ripeness and texture so just keep carefully turning them from time until they are crisp.  During the winter months I place them on our central heating boiler to dry.  I have a chum who puts them in her airing cupboard to dry and another who hangs them on thread and air dries them, with apple slices, the woman spares no expense decorating her home with mishaps at Christmas, and it always looks divine.

Enjoy ! x