Saffron poached pear with cinnamon ice-cream

[caption id="attachment_8718" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Saffron poached pear with cinnamon ice-cream. Image courtesy Random House India. "][/caption]This is one of the most popular desserts at Cinnamon Club. The saffron adds a beautiful colour and adds its special aroma to the ice-cream while the yoghurt stuffing provides a fun element of surprise for the guests.Preparation time: 45 minutesCooking time: 25 minutesServes: 4For the saffron poached pear4 pears, not very ripe, peeled1 lt water175 gm sugar5 gm saffronFor the filling100 gm hung yoghurt1 tbsp icing sugar1 tbsp raisins10 fresh coriander leaves, shreddedMix all the ingredients for the fillingFor the brandy snap tuile (makes 30 tuiles)50 gm icing sugar50 gm butter50 gm liquid glucose50 gm plain flourFor the cinnamon ice-cream5 egg yolks200 ml double cream200 ml milk100 gm granulated sugar10 gm ground cinnamon1) Place the sugar, water, and saffron in a pan, and bring to a boil. Add the pears and poach in the syrup for 20 minutes until the pears turn soft. The easiest way to test this is with a small sharp knife and pricking the centre. If the knife pierces with a little resistance it is ready.Take off the heat and let them cool, then chill in the syrup.2) Take out the stone of the pears with a melon baller (a small spoonlike scoop which can be used to cut perfect balls from soft fruits) or small sharp knife by cutting away carefully from the bottom of the pear to make a hollow cavity in the centre. Be careful not to cut the outside of the pear.3) Prepare the yoghurt and the raisin stuffing by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. Stuff the hollow cavity and store chilled until needed.4) Mix the sugar and the butter into a fluffy cream.5) Add the flour and the liquid glucose and beat the whole mixture for some more time until everything is mixed evenly. Spread the mixture evenly and thinly on a baking sheet lined with baking/parchment paper using a spatula or a blunt edged knife.6) Bake in a pre-heated oven at 175°C until golden brown, 10–15 minutes. Leave to cool and harden on the surface.7) Break into random-sized chips or pieces to garnish the dish later. These can be kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Any leftover mix can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 month.8) Boil the milk and cream. Whisk in the cinnamon powder and let the mixture cool down for a while.9) In a separate bowl, mix sugar with the egg yolks, and whisk until slightly pale. Bring the milk back to a boil, then pour the hot milk onto the yolks, and whisk.10) Place back in the saucepan and cook on low heat for around 5 minutes until the mix thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Transfer to a larger container to cool rapidly, stirring frequently.11) Chill the mix in the fridge then transfer to an ice-cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.12) To serve place the pear in the centre of a plate or bowl and place a scoop of ice-cream next to it.13) Garnish the top of the ice-cream with a brandy snap and pour a little of the syrup over the pear.Recipe courtesy: Cinnamon Club: Indian Cuisine Reinvented, published by Random House India; priced at Rs 899. For more recipes, get the book authored by Vivek Singh with Abdul Yaseen and Hari Nagaraj.