BAKING,  CAKES,  DESSERTS,  PASTRY/SMALL CAKES,  TEA CAKES

Mini Manqué Pear Cakes with Black Grape Compote

2010/01/30 / 27 Comments
“There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Yesterday was a day I needed to bake. The morning wasn’t kind to me. Got up and the computer screen was dead as dead can be. Woke up the daughter and she was rather rude for something trivial … very uncalled for!! Then she decided not to have the breakfast I made. I had about lost it, but DH stepped in, flashed a big smile, ate her breakfast…and told me to relax! So my pent up anger was redirected to the kitchen, and it was time to bake. Hit the kitchen in a fury… made walnuts, dried cranberry and dark chococolate chip scones, made peanut butter, made some curry for lunch… and then made these charming little pear cakes!
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These pears had been staring at me for days. They were handsome, had a lovely yellow hue to them, but that’s just where the story ended. They were very crisp but lacked sweet fruity flavour. Sometimes fruit can be so deceptive. You come home thinking, yes, what a good deal I got, and then sigh, it’s time to bake them into something. Thank heavens for the fabulous marriage fruit and baking make, something I discovered just a clutch of years ago. 
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Have been attracted to ‘pear’ posts like a bee to honey the whole of this week. Each time I saw pear in my reader, there I was. Alongside, I was browsing for a kumquat chutney to use up some tangerines, and I was led to this beautiful blog Citrus & Vanille. 2 stones with 1 bird! Found a great sounding kumquat chutney which I could use tangerines in, and further browsing led me to these Mini Manqué Pear Cakes, not quite sure what  manqué was, but I liked the sound of the word. Had a nice ring to it!! I was so making them! A tweet from my virtual French lexicon Hilda, got me my answer.
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Moule-à-Manqué, Origin: French,  A cake tin with sloping sides, producing a cake that has a wider base than top… 
LOVELY! I love the name!!
I settled for this recipe because it has whole wheat flour and some chestnut flour too. I do have a small sack of chestnut flour stashed away that Jamie got me, but that is for ‘something’ else! So substitution was the call again, and some almond flour went in. Not saving it for macs as I have failed 3 times very recently. Maybe I need a break, then shall make fresh almond flour! I loved these manqués because they had a nice mix of healthy whole grain flors and  turned out to be ever so versatile. I made them in the morning, and just reheated them before serving with 1 teaspoon of whipped unsweetened mascarpone cream, and black grape compote. SUBLIME!! The kids loved them! Much in line with my Ten in 10 commitment too!!
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A dessert which is wholesome, has fruit, just 1 tsp of homemade mascarpone on top … and is still given a high five!! YES!! What could be better. The cake had a nice velvety, nutty texture, and surprisingly enough, the pears retained some crsipness too! I love the meeting of textures and flavours. Just amazing how satisfying dessert can get!! I think this recipe might work well with apples and walnuts/raisins too.
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Mini Manqué Pear Cakes with Black Grape Compote
adapted from Citron and Vanille
Makes 8-10 individual cakes
Ingredients
3 pears, peeled and sliced
70 g butter, melted
30gms clarified butter
3 eggs
70 g whole wheat flour
50 g almond meal
130 g white flour
100g light brown sugar
4 tbs light cream cream
11/2 tsp baking powder
11/2 tsp vanilla extract
Mascarpone cream and compote to serve

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Method:

In a mixing container, beat butters and sugar until smooth. Add cream, then add eggs, flours, vanilla extract, cream and baking powder progressively.
Butter individual deep molds (like ramekins) or if you have silicon molds, even better. I put litle rounds of parchment paper in the bases…just in case! If you don’t have any individual molds, you can also use a larger deep dish one.
Place the pear slices nicely at the bottom of each ramekin, followed by a sprinkling of dried grapes, and then divide the batter equally between each of them.
Cook in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 30 minutes. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, and unmold.

compote+recipe

Black Grape Compote
Makes about 1/2 cup
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried black grapes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rum or orange juice
1/4 – 1/2 cup water
1-2 tbsps balsamic vinegar

Method:

Place all ingredients in a heavy bottom pan, and simmer for 15-20 minutes till it all comes together in a nice thick compote. Adjust sugar/vinegar if required. Take off heat and transfer to serving container. It will continue to thicken as it stands. You can serve it warm or cold.
To serve 

Place warm pear manqué on a platter, top with a tablespoon of whipped unsweetend mascarpone cream, followed by a tablespoon of compote.
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Posted by Deeba @ PAB

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