Pear semifreddo with champagne pears recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Bosc or Anjou pears, unpeeled, but cored and chopped
• ¾ cup (6 ounces) water
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 1 lemon juice

• ½ cup (4 ounces) heavy cream
• 1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk (divided use)
• 2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
• 7 ounces white chocolate, such as Valrhona Ivoire, finely chopped
• ½ cup (4 ounces) Caramelized Pear Puree
• ½ teaspoon Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste, preferably, or pure vanilla extract
• 4 ounces egg yolks (5–6 large)
• Generous ¾ cup granulated sugar (divided use)
• 3 ounces egg whites (about 3 large)
• 2 cups (1 pint) whole milk
• 1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup toasted chopped walnuts

• 2 Anjou, Comice, or other red-skinned pears, preferably, cut in different shapes
• 1 cup (8 ounces) champagne, other sparkling wine, or dry white wine
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
• 2-inch piece of lemon peel, about ½ inch wide
• 1 dried bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste, preferably, or pure vanilla extract
• Small sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 cup (8 ounces) full-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 4 ounces minced skin-on pears (from pear trimmings above)
• 3 ounces (scant ½ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon low-acyl gellan
• ¼ teaspoon agar agar
• 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla paste, preferably, or pure vanilla extract
• Mint sprigs or small mint leaves

To Prepare the Pear Puree
1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking a few minutes more, stirring frequently, until the pears have caramelized.
To Prepare the Semifreddo
2. Line a 9 x 12-inch rimmed baking sheet, or similar baking pan, with plastic wrap.
3. Whip the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment at high speed. When the cream has soft peaks, spoon it into another bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed. Wash the mixer’s bowl and whisk attachment to use again shortly.
4. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the milk into a ramekin. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and let it sit several minutes to soften.
5. Meanwhile, warm the white chocolate and pear puree together in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir the mixture together as the chocolate melts. Remove from the heat just before the all the chocolate has melted and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth.
6. In another saucepan stir together the rest of the milk, vanilla, egg yolks, and ½ cup of the sugar. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking continually, until the mixture has thickened sufficiently for the whisk to leave a trail where you can see the bottom of the pan.
7. Whisk in the gelatin for an additional minute, then remove the pan from the heat.
8. Fold this mixture into the white chocolate mixture.
9. Using the mixer again fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites over high speed until they are foamy, slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, and continue beating until you have soft-peaked meringue.
10. Fold the meringue into the white chocolate mixture, followed by the whipped cream. Spoon it all into the prepared baking pan and freeze uncovered at least 1 hour. You can freeze the mixture up to 1 day but, in that case, cover it after it has set.
To Prepare the Cake
11. Preheat the oven to 335°F. Line a 9 x 12-inch rimmed baking sheet or similar baking pan with parchment paper, buttered lightly.
12. Warm the milk, buttermilk, and butter together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat when the butter is melted. Reserve.
13. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, granulated and brown sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon over low speed.
14. Pour the warm butter mixture into the mixing bowl, continuing to mix on low speed until combined.
15. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Raise the speed to medium, then add the eggs one at a time.
16. Stop and scrape down the bowl again, then fold in the walnuts by hand.
17. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 15–18 minutes, until lightly browned and set. Let the cake cool in the pan on a baking rack.
To Prepare the Pears
18. Place the pear pieces in a heatproof bowl.
19. Combine the champagne, sugar, salt, ginger, lemon peel, bay leaf, vanilla, and thyme in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the mixture by half, about 5 minutes, then pour the mixture over the pears. Let the mixture steep to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
To Prepare the Pudding
20. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree.
21. Transfer to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Cool over an ice bath, then refrigerate covered if not using right away.
Putting it all Together
22. Place 8 dessert plates on a work surface. Whisk the pudding to fluff it up a bit. Swoosh a big dollop of pudding across each plate. Using a 2- or 3-inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut out rounds of semifreddo. Arrange a round or 2 of semifreddo in the center of each plate. Tear the cake into 16 somewhat equal pieces, and place 1 piece on each side of the semifreddo. Scatter a few pieces of the pears around the plate. Garnish with mint and serve.