Roasted Pears with Espresso Mascarpone Cream

A wonderful dessert that will thrill your family and guests. A delicious way to serve up fresh pears complemented by espresso and mascarpone cream cheese.This is a dessert that you will make again!

Ingredients

For the pears

4 pears, any type
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs sugar
4 tbs water
2 tbs unsalted butter

For the Mascarpone Cream

1 cup whipping cream
1 vanilla bean
1 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup sugar
2-3 tbs espresso,chilled

For finishing
Cocoa powder

Roasted Pears with Espresso Mascarpone Cream adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Martha Stewart

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 200C.Peel pears if you like(I did not,do not think it is necessary),halve them lenghtwise and core.Place cut side up in arasting pan and sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Sprinkle sugar evenly over pear halves and dot with butter.Pour water into the roasting pan and bake for 30-35 minutes,basting with pan juices a few times.Flip pears over and bake an additional 30 minutes,basting with pan juices a few times.Pears are ready when a knife slipseasily into the thickest part.Allow pears to cool in room temperature.

Make the mascarpone cream

• Pour the whipping cream into a small bowl.Slice vanilla bean in half lenghtwise and scarpe seeds into the cream,stirring to even distribute.Add bean to cream.Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour,along with the bowl and beater of an electric stand mixer.

Just before serving,pour cream through a fine mesh strainer into the chilled mixing bowl.Add mascarpone and espresso and beat on medium speed until all combined.Increase speed to medium high and with mixer running sprinkle in sugar ,beating until soft peaks form.

Finishing

Top a pear half with a dollop of Mascarpone cream.Add one or both of the finishing ingredients to taste.

Brown Sugar Glazed Mini Doughnuts

They are tasty, they are easy and they are as healthy as a sweet can possibly be. If you feel like it, just give them a try !

Ingredients

270ml milk
50g sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast
140g unsalted butter
2 large eggs beaten
500g all purpose flour

For Brown Sugar Glaze

1/3 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

For Chocolate Glaze

80g unsalted butter
150g dark chocolate

Preparation

• Gently warm your milk 115 F,add sugar and yeast,mix till the sugar dissolve.
• Gently melt your butter and add it to beaten eggs but be careful butter should not be so warm otherwise it cook eggs.
• Put butter into an electric mixer with dough hook.Turn mixer on low speed and yeast mixture to the butter.Mix for a couple of minutes until well combined.
• Add the flour to the dough,mix well and transfer the dough to a well oiled bowl.Cover bowl with a plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator.Leave the dough at least 8 hours or overnight.

Roll and cut

• On a well floured surface roll the doughnuts out to 1/2 inch thick
• Using a small cutter,cut as many rounds out of the dough as you can.Gently pick up the rounds and place on a well floured sheet pan.
• Using a very small cutter,cut the center hole.It can be anything you find actually..I used the back of my pen:)
• Cover doughnuts in a large tea towel and place in a warm place.Allow doughnuts to raise at least an hour

Fry the doughnuts

• In a large pot, pour enough oil.Heat to 375 f.
• Gentle pick up and ease donuts into oil and cook each side until light and brown.
• Remove from oil with a slotted spoon.Drain on several layers of paper towels carefully turning over ever 5 seconds to try and blot as much oil out as possible.

Brown sugar glaze

Melt the sugar in a small pan with water bring it to boil a little bit.When all the doughnuts have been fried dip each in the brown sugar glaze you can also use chocolate glaze as well!

Blueberry Chocolate Cake

Definitely a treat! Rich,dark and chocolaty with fresh blueberries.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1.3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
125 gr butter ,melted,cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
125 gr blueberries


Chocolate Ganache
7 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup cream

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease your pan.Line base with baking paper.
• Sift flour,bicarbonate soda and cocoa powder in a bowl.Stir in sugar,combine buttermilk,eggs melted butter and vanilla in a jug.Make a well in center of flour mixture.Pour in buttermilk mixture.Using an electric mixer ,beat on low speed until combined.Increase speed to high.Beat for 3,4 minutes.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make chocolate Ganache

• Melt chocolate and cream in a saucepan or  microwave.
• Stir until smooth.Cool.
• Spread over cake .

Top with Blueberries...Bon Appetite!