Chocolate and Pear Danish
EASY 8 SERVES 30 MINUTES PREP 40 MINS COOKING
Our chocolate and pear Danish make a great brunch option for those with a bit of a sweet tooth and cook in under half an hour. The pears can be poached several days ahead, and the pastry cream can be whipped up whilst the oven comes up to temperature. Depending on the season other fruits that could be substituted for the pears are summer stone fruits or Autumn staples like apples and quinces. Fresh berries, banana and figs would also work well.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 375g frozen all butter puff pastry, thawed
- 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup (20g) flaked almonds
- Icing sugar, to serve
Poached pears
- 2 cups (500ml) water
- 1/4 cup (90g) honey
- 3/4 cup (165g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 pears, peeled, quartered & cored
Chocolate almond pastry cream
- 80g Haigh’s Dark Chocolate Pastilles,
finely chopped - 20g unsalted butter, diced
- 1/4 cup (60ml) thickened cream
- 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup (30g) almond meal
- 1/4 cup (40g) icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornflour
Method
- For the poached pears, combine water, honey, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir mixture until sugar dissolves and slowly bring to a boil. Add pears and reduce heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes or until pears are tender. Remove pears from syrup and allow to cool.
- For the pastry cream, combine chocolate, butter and cream together in a medium saucepan over a low heat, stirring until chocolate and butter have just melted and mixture is well combined. Add egg, almond meal, sugar and cornflour, stirring until combined. Set aside until required.
- Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced) and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
- On a lightly floured surface roll puff pastry to 3mm thick and cut pastry into 8 equal sized rectangles. Place on prepared baking trays and score a 1cm wide border around the edge of each rectangle and prick the centre with a fork. Evenly divide pastry cream between the 8 rectangles, spreading evenly over the centre of each rectangle within the border and sprinkle over flaked almonds. Brush pastry edges with egg glaze.
- Slice each poached pear quarter from the narrow end out, into a fan and place on top of the pastry cream.
- Place baking trays in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden, swapping shelves halfway through cooking.
- Serve chocolate and pear Danish dusted in icing sugar.
