Caramelized Pear Phyllo with Five-Spice Ice Cream

This ice cream uses five-spice powder, a Chinese spice mixture containing star anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon. It is available at most grocery stores.

Five-Spice Ice Cream

1 cup (250 mL) half-and-half cream
1 cup (250 mL) whole milk
3/4 tsp (4 mL) five-spice powder
Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
6 egg yolks

Bring cream, milk, five-spice powder, and vanilla seeds to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, add sugar to egg yolks and whisk until frothy. Whisk hot liquid into egg yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and heat constantly over medium heat while stirring constantly until mixture reaches 175 F (85 C). Do not boil. Remove from heat, strain, and refrigerate.

Churn in ice-cream machine or freeze in a small container in your freezer, stirring every 20 minutes for 1 1/2 hours, or until ice cream has a smooth texture...

Pear Filling

3 pears
1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
Pinch salt
Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
1 Tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter
Splash brandy

Peel pears and dice into small pieces. Toss pears in sugar, salt, vanilla seeds, and lemon juice.

Melt butter in medium pan over medium heat and saut pear mixture until golden, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir carefully to caramelize evenly, deglaze with brandy, remove from heat, and refrigerate.

Phyllo Squares

3 sheets phyllo pastry
3 Tbsp (45 mL) melted butter
2 to 3 Tbsp (30 to 45 mL) icing sugar

Brush 1 sheet of phyllo with butter and sprinkle with icing sugar. Cover with another sheet of phyllo and repeat, omitting sugar on top layer. Cut into 18 - 2 1/2 in (6 cm) squares. Sprinkle icing sugar over 6 of the squares.

Creme Anglaise

2/3 cup (160 mL) half-and-half cream
2/3 cup (160 mL) whole milk
Seeds from 1/4 vanilla bean
2 Tbsp (30 mL) sugar
4 egg yolks

Bring cream, milk, and vanilla to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.

In separate bowl, add sugar to yolks and whisk until frothy. Whisk hot liquid into egg yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until crme coats a spoon. Cool over an ice bath, then strain. Refrigerate.

To Serve

Place a dollop of crme anglaise on each of the 6 serving plates. Place a plain phyllo square on top of the crme anglaise. Create layers by alternating remaining crme anglaise, pear filling, and phyllo squares, topping each with an icing sugar-dusted square. Garnish with a scoop of five-spice ice cream.

Serves 6.

This ice cream uses five-spice powder, a Chinese spice mixture containing star anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon. It is available at most grocery stores.

This ice cream uses five-spice powder, a Chinese spice mixture containing star anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon. It is available at most grocery stores.

Five-Spice Ice Cream

1 cup (250 mL) half-and-half cream
1 cup (250 mL) whole milk
3/4 tsp (4 mL) five-spice powder
Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
6 egg yolks

Bring cream, milk, five-spice powder, and vanilla seeds to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, add sugar to egg yolks and whisk until frothy. Whisk hot liquid into egg yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and heat constantly over medium heat while stirring constantly until mixture reaches 175 F (85 C). Do not boil. Remove from heat, strain, and refrigerate.

Churn in ice-cream machine or freeze in a small container in your freezer, stirring every 20 minutes for 1 1/2 hours, or until ice cream has a smooth texture...

Pear Filling

3 pears
1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
Pinch salt
Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
1 Tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter
Splash brandy

Peel pears and dice into small pieces. Toss pears in sugar, salt, vanilla seeds, and lemon juice.

Melt butter in medium pan over medium heat and saute pear mixture until golden, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir carefully to caramelize evenly, deglaze with brandy, remove from heat, and refrigerate.

Phyllo Squares

3 sheets phyllo pastry
3 Tbsp (45 mL) melted butter
2 to 3 Tbsp (30 to 45 mL) icing sugar

Brush 1 sheet of phyllo with butter and sprinkle with icing sugar. Cover with another sheet of phyllo and repeat, omitting sugar on top layer. Cut into 18 - 2 1/2 in (6 cm) squares. Sprinkle icing sugar over 6 of the squares.

Creme Anglaise

2/3 cup (160 mL) half-and-half cream
2/3 cup (160 mL) whole milk
Seeds from 1/4 vanilla bean
2 Tbsp (30 mL) sugar
4 egg yolks

Bring cream, milk, and vanilla to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.

In separate bowl, add sugar to yolks and whisk until frothy. Whisk hot liquid into egg yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until creme coats a spoon. Cool over an ice bath, then strain. Refrigerate.

To Serve

Place a dollop of creme anglaise on each of the 6 serving plates. Place a plain phyllo square on top of the creme anglaise. Create layers by alternating remaining creme anglaise, pear filling, and phyllo squares, topping each with an icing sugar-dusted square. Garnish with a scoop of five-spice ice cream.

Serves 6.

source: "Rustic Regionalism", alive #313, November 2008