Pear Compote with Gingered Shortbread Crumbs

Ah, the joys of being a food blogger! One of the significant perks is getting to taste, try, and tinker with all sorts of products; and when that product just happens to be some lovely wine ... well, it's a good day in Mary Land.

I was the very happy recipient of a bottle of Gnarly Head Chardonnay, described as having "bright, tropical fruit aromas and flavors of pineapple, citrus, pear and melon with a touch of vanilla on the finish." And while I was not at all averse to sipping the wine with dinner, you know I always like to cook with it, too. The brightness, the acidity, and the hints of fruit offer a tremendous boost to flavors.

We all know I have a sweet tooth, although the Chardonnay would be lovely in savory dishes, as well. So - of course! - I spent an entire day craving a dessert. When I first tasted the wine, I felt it would be perfect with pears; it was a bit tart, a bit sweet, and it immediately triggered a sense that these ingredients would be ideal complements to each other.

I thought about poaching pears, but that's been done many, many times before; and so, I varied the theme a bit by cooking a fragrant compote instead, and teased a bit of the vanilla hints from the wine, as well, by using vanilla sugar rather than the plain ol' variety as everything simmered.

But I didn't just want soft fruit - there needed to be some crunch, some texture. And regular readers know that I have an obsessive love affair with shortbread cookies, with their richness and beautiful simplicity; they seemed to be a stellar contrast to the luscious pears. And how could anything go wrong when adding a touch of spice with candied ginger?

This dessert - sophisticated comfort food - turned out far, far better than I'd even hoped! Sweet pears, accented by the Chardonnay, layered with crisp and buttery cookies ... sigh. I had planned to save some of this to take to work the next day, a treat to look forward to; but it was so exceptionally good that I devoured the entire thing in one sitting!

Quick, simple, and oh, so luxurious! Gnarly Head Chardonnay, ripe pears, and shortbread ... all you need for a beautiful fall dessert.


Pear Compote with Gingered Shortbread Crumbs

Pears:
2 large Anjou pears, very ripe
1/3 cup Gnarly Head Chardonnay
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar

Crumbs:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced candied ginger
1/2 cup shortbread cookie crumbs

To finish:
whipped cream

Peel and core pears, then cut into 1/2" dice. Place into a small saucepan, then add wine and sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes. Mash pears with a fork until they're the consistency of applesauce, then boil 5 more minutes to evaporate most of the liquid. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar, ginger, and cookie crumbs; cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, just until crumbs are lightly golden.

Layer the crumbs and pear compote in small parfait glasses, or just place some of the compote into small bowls and sprinkle crumb mixture on top. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream.

Don't combine the compote and the crumbs before serving, or the crumbs will soften; they're very nice with a bit of crunch to them.

Serves 2.

Frugal Floozie Friday: Revive

This toasty, creamy, gooey treat is the Nutella Bagel - Nutella and sliced bananas on a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel - that you can find at Revive, today's Frugal Floozie Friday feature.  A luscious snack, I've been craving it since the day I tried it.  At only $3.95, it falls well within our mandatory budget of only $5 per person, too ... that's pretty hard to resist!

But if you'd like to eat more nobly when you visit this bright and welcoming spot that offers light meals and snacks, then enjoy a creamy yogurt parfait - a sweet concoction of vanilla yogurt combined with lovely cut fruits and organic granola - that you can find for only $3.50.  It was rich and brightly flavored, a perfect size without either being too generous or causing me to wish it were larger.

Fresh fruit, bagels with cream cheese, a wide variety of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and many beverages (coffees, tea, sodas, and smoothies) are also available for less than $5 each.  Many of these are provided by local businesses, too, from Mighty Good Coffee, Barry Bagels, Zingerman's Bakehouse, and the Pastry Peddler.

There's even a "create your own salad" option, starting with a base of $2.95 for greens and dressing; then you can choose from a wide variety of fresh options (priced individually) - vegetables, cheeses, proteins, nuts, fruits - to make your own unique dish.  Revive is very vegetarian- and vegan-friendly, and also serves beer and wine, which are 50% off from 3-6 p.m.

So stop by this bright, friendly, welcoming spot conveniently located on Central Campus to revive and refresh yourself with a treat or a beverage or a light meal.  You'll be so glad that you did!


Revive
619 E. University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
734-332-3366
Monday - Friday:  8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.



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Espresso Pudding Parfait

Rather than sponge cake made with matzah meal or plain ol' fruit or sesame seed candies, why not try a pudding for a special dessert during Passover?  Why not make something a bit luxurious, rather than feeling as though food is becoming a punishment with no access to breads, cupcakes, oatmeal, or other items - both decadent and mundane - that will suddenly seem miraculous on Saturday evening when they're permissible again after the holiday?

This rich, luscious dessert uses ricotta cheese, though I know that it can be difficult to find this particular ingredient with a hekhsher [HEK-sher], certifying that it's kosher for Passover.  Pureed cottage cheese would work just fine, if that's easier to acquire.  Or make this after the holiday ends, when you're still trying to use up leftover tins of macaroons.

The pudding isn't terribly sweet, so that it offers a nice contrast to the sugary cookies.  Layers of texture and layers of flavor ... this coffee-almond parfait is simple but beautiful.

Espresso Pudding and Macaroon Parfait

2 15-ounce containers part-skim ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons prepared espresso, chilled

12 Manischewitz almond macaroons, crumbled

whipped cream, for serving

In a large bowl, whisk the ricotta to break it up a bit.  Whisk in the sugar and the espresso until smooth.

Fill 4 wine glasses one-third full with the ricotta mixture.  Divide half of the crumbled macaroons among the glasses.  Divide the remaining ricotta mixture among the glasses, then top with the remaining macaroon crumbs.  Top with whipped cream, if desired.

Makes 4 generous servings or 8 smaller ones.

Peach 'n' Pecan Parfaits

It's the end of summer, and there is tremendous bounty at the various farmers' markets - fruits and vegetables abound! Before the cold weather sets in - and sadly, we all know it will - we must relish this opportunity to indulge in fresh produce.

There is little in life as sensual as biting into a juicy peach, fragrant and luscious. But sometimes you just want to glam things up a bit, make them a bit more special or elegant.

And that's precisely what today's recipe is about. These parfaits, featuring gorgeous ripe peaches, showcase the fruit's sweetness but also offer flavors and textures to complement that, as well.

These treats are ridiculously easy to make, yet seem special enough for any occasion ... even just the end of a lovely summer day.

Peach 'n' Pecan Parfaits

4 peaches, pitted, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 apricot, pitted, chopped into 1/4" pieces
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup white wine (I used Flip Flop Wines Riesling, a most generous marketing gift!)
8 pecan shortbread cookies
whipped cream, for serving

Place the peaches, apricot, sugar and wine into a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring frequently, until the sauce is pink-tinged and thickened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Crush the cookies - not too fine, but no huge chunks either. Set out two wine glasses. Place 1/4 of the cookie crumbs into the bottom of each glass, and top with 1/4 of the peach mixture in each, spreading carefully. Place half of the remaining cookie crumbs in a layer over the peaches in each glass, then top that with the remaining peaches. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 2 generously.