Marzipan Pear Cups

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup hazelnuts
  • 1 1/2 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 6 large pears, peeled
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 cup Mascarpone
  • 1/4 ¼ cup maraschino juice
  • 1/4 ¼ cup grappa
  • 12 soft lady fingers
  • 2 oz. chocolate, chopped
  • 1/4 ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread nuts on a baking sheet and toast until golden, about 10 minutes; chop the nuts and set aside. Combine 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, and the cinnamon stick in a pan, boil, cooking until the sugar dissolved, stirring. Drop in the pears and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the pears and cut of 2 inches of each pear and dice it; set aside. Halve the portion of the pears vertically and set aside.

Place the remaining sugar in a pan and add ½ tbs. water, set over medium heat and cook until the mixture reaches 230 degrees.

Place yolks in a bowl, whisking, pour in the hot syrup, egg should be lemon coloured and thickened. Fold in the cheese, and set aside. Combine the grappa and maraschino with ¼ cup water and dip n the ladyfingers. Melt the chocolate and keep it smooth.

Spoon the diced pear in a glass goblet, top with 1 ladyfinger and 1 pear half. Spoon on cream, and garnish with hazelnuts. Dust with cocoa and drizzle with chocolate. Chill for 2 – 12 hours.