Ingredients
- 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry
- Icing sugar (for caramelising)
- 400 ml cold cream
- 40 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Whiskey-poached pears
- 3 firm pears, peeled and halved
- 500ml water
- 120 g sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Strip of lemon peel
- 60ml Irish whiskey
Coffee Glaze
- 160 g icing sugar
- 2/3 tbsp strong espresso or strong coffee
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: 1 tsp whiskey
Method
1. Heat oven to 200°C Roll pastry slightly thinner and place on a lined tray. Prick all over with a fork.
2. Cover with baking paper and another tray to keep flat. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden.
3. Remove the top tray, dust lightly with icing sugar and bake 5 more minutes so it caramelised.
4. Cool and cut into portions, ideally rectangles.
5. To poach the pears combine water, sugar, cinnamon, whiskey and lemon peel in a saucepan.
6. Bring to a simmer and add pears. Poach 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Slice pears thinly.
7. To make the vanilla cream simply whip cream, icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks.
8. To make the coffee glaze just mix icing sugar with espresso until smooth and spreadable. Add a small pinch of salt to balance sweetness.
9. To assemble place the first pastry layer on a serving plate. Add plenty of vanilla whipped cream.
10. Add the sliced whiskey pears.
11. For the top pastry layer, pour over the coffee glaze on a tray and then add to the top of the coffee slice.
Chef tips
Chill the dessert 20 to 30 minutes before slicing so the cream sets slightly.
Use a serrated knife with gentle sawing to avoid crushing the puff pastry.
Assemble close to serving time so the pastry stays crisp.
