Ingredients for Baked Pears
- 4 ripe Pears
- ½ cup Melted Butter (divided, 2 tbs + 6 tbs)
- ½ tablespoon Cinnamon + ½ tablespoon Sugar, mixed together
- 1 cup Rolled Oats
- ½ cup Finely Chopped Hazelnuts
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Salt
Ingredients for Persimmon Clafoutis - Yield: 9-inch round Cast Iron Pan
- 1 ¼ cup Milk
- 2 ½ ounces White Sugar (⅓ cup)
- 2 ½ ounces Light Brown Sugar (⅓ cup)
- 3 Eggs
- ⅛ teaspoon Almond Extract
- ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 ½ ounces Flour (½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons Butter, for greasing pan
- 1 pound Fuyu Persimmon, sliced into wedges
- 2 tablespoons Demerara Sugar
- Powdered Sugar, for serving
Ingredients for Maple Shortbread
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at a cool room temp, around 65 degrees F, divided
- ¾ cup pure maple sugar
- ¼ tsp. maple extract
- ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
Directions for Baked Pears
1. Heat oven to 400˚.
2. Cut pears in half and scoop out the center/stem, leaving room for oat topping.
3. Brush cut-side of pears with melted butter, then sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over each.
4. Mix remaining melted butter with oats, hazelnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Spoon oat topping into pears evenly.
5. Bake pears until tender, 35-40 minutes.
6. Serve with whipped cream, yogurt, or ice cream.
Directions for Persimmon Clafoutis
1. Heat oven to 350˚.
2. Whisk milk, sugars, eggs, almond extract, salt, and flour together until smooth and combined. If time permits, let batter rest overnight for better hydration and a more tender custard. If time does not permit, don’t worry, just bake.
3. Butter cast iron pan and place persimmon wedges in a pleasing pattern.
4. Pour batter over fruit, gently. Don’t worry if it begins to cover the wedges, as the clafoutis bakes the fruit will begin to float.
5. Bake for ten minutes, then remove from oven and sprinkle raw sugar on top. Place back in the oven and bake until set, puffed, and golden on top (about another 35 minutes).
6. Remove from oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve.
Directions for Maple Shortbread
1. Preheat your oven to 325F. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush it into an 8” shortbread pan. If you are using a plain round 8” pan, simply rub the butter inside the pan to coat it.
2. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the remaining butter, maple sugar, salt and extracts until light and fluffy.
3. Add the flour and continue mixing until fully incorporated. The dough will be crumbly at first but will come together as you continue to mix it.
4. Divide the dough in half. Form one half into a disc and wrap in plastic. Set aside. Press the remaining dough into the pan. Using a fork, prick the dough all over. This will prevent the dough from bubbling by allowing the steam to escape.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, until the shortbread is lightly browned on top and slightly darker around the edges.
6. Remove the shortbread from the oven and immediately turn out onto a clean surface. Gently brush the hot shortbread with the maple syrup. While the shortbread is still warm, cut it into 8 wedges. Repeat with the remaining dough.