ISO: ISO: Awesome Desert to go with Brandy Alexanders?

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michelleinil

Well-known member
Hi All,

I am going out to dinner on Friday and having a group of friends back after for Brandy Alexanders. I know that a Brandy Alexander is like a desert but would also like to offer something that would complement it. Any suggestions?

TIA

 
Because it's rich and creamy, I'd say something not rich & creamy, but fruity would be good. Like a

fruit tart, but not apple.

For some reason, kiwi keeps coming to me. Or peach, because peach and the nutmeg in the Alexander might be a nice combo. Okay, peach tart, single shortbread crust. Yes, Definitely.

So right up my alley.

 
Michelle, consider a pear tart with puff pastry.

You can buy the frozen pastry, have the pears peeled and poached and the almond cream prepared.

Once you get home, you can pull it together and bake for 20-30 minutes.

It's amazing...creamy, fruity, slightly crunchy, all good things. It even reheated well, so there's that option. Make it ahead of time and just reheat.

I was lucky and had several Harry & David pears to use up. They were beautiful...juicy and sweet. Seriously blot them after poaching to remove excess fluid.

I used the almond cream from Dorie Greenspan (see link), but built it up on unbaked puff pastry rather than a tart crust. Actually, her tart version might work better. The almond cream run out slightly off the edges of the puff pastry because I used it all but didn't need to.

The puff is T&T by me...the tart base isn't.

http://www.doriegreenspan.com/dorie_greenspan/2009/01/tuesdays-with-dorie-french-pear-tart.html

 
And here's the RealSimple recipe inspiration for using puff pastry

This was a beautiful photo in the magazine, but I can't find it anywhere on the Web. Where's GayR when you need her SearchAbility?

(Edited) See scanned image at #13781.

Chocolate Pear Pastry

1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff-pastry sheets, thawed
4 ounces chopped hazelnuts (1 cup)
1/2 9-ounce box chocolate wafer cookies
5 ripe pears (such as Comice or Bosc)
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 400º F. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. On a lightly
floured surface, roll out one sheet of pastry into an 18-by-10-inch rectangle.
Transfer it to a cookie sheet. Fold over 1 1/2 inches on each of the long sides
to make a rim. Use a fork to pierce the center in 1-inch intervals. Repeat with
the remaining pastry on the second cookie sheet. Bake both for 10 minutes.
Remove to wire racks. Reduce oven temperature to 375ºF.
Combine the hazelnuts and chocolate wafers in a food processor or blender and
pulse until they resemble sand. Peel the pears and cut each lengthwise in half.
Discard the cores and stems. Distribute the nut crumbs along the center of each
partially baked pastry. Arrange the pears, cut-side down, on the crumbs,
alternating stem and round ends. Brush the rim of each pastry with some egg.
Sprinkle with the sugar.

Return the pastries to the oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until the
pears are tender when tested with a fork. Remove and cool on wire racks. Place
the chocolate chips in a small cup and microwave 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stir until
smooth. Drizzle over the pastries. (This recipe can be made up to 1 day ahead.)

Yield: 10 servings

Real Simple, NOVEMBER 2003

 
I agree with Ang on the cookies, since the drink is so rich. How about hazelnut crisps or

plain butter cookies or espresso cookies?

 
Or you can just make a rich Brandy Alexander dessert, such as a Brandy Alexander pie or

milkshake or ice cream, etc.

 
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