pear leathers
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Serves 8
These are a grown-up version of a school lunchbox fruit roll up, although your kids will want to share them with you too. I like to serve them rolled around a piece of blue cheese or goat’s chèvre as a starter. Or, like quince paste, they can be served as part of a cheese platter to add a touch of fruity sweetness.
Ingredients
3 ripe pears, peeled, cored, cubed (approx. 500g pear flesh)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 70°C (50°C fan). Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
- Place pears and lemon juice into a saucepan and cook over a medium heat for about 5-8 minutes, covered, or until completely tender.
- Remove from heat. Add cinnamon (optional) and, using a stick blender directly in the saucepan, blend until very smooth. (If you prefer, you can transfer to a heat-proof food processor or blender to process until very smooth, then return to saucepan.)
- Return to stovetop and cook, uncovered, on a low-medium heat for about 20 minutes or until pear mixture is slightly thickened and reduced.
- Transfer mixture onto prepared baking trays. Using an offset spatula, spread mixture evenly across baking paper (2-3mm thickness). Mixture will thin out during baking. Bake for 6-8 hours or until pureé is dry to the touch and pliable (see Tip). Set aside to cool completely on trays.
- Using scissors, trim ends off dried pear mixture and cut into 8 strips, then roll up to serve.
Tips
Cooking times will vary depending on your oven and the thickness of your pureé. If, after 5 hours of baking, your pureé is still quite wet, increase the oven temperature to 80°C (60°C fan) and continue cooking until it’s dry to the touch.
Variation
THERMOMIX METHOD
- Preheat oven to 70°C (50°C fan). Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
- Place pears and lemon juice into mixing bowl and cook 5 min/100°C/speed 3. Add cinnamon (optional) and blend 30 sec/speed 8.
- Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula, then cook 20 min/90°C/speed 2, without measuring cup.
- Transfer mixture onto prepared baking trays. Using an offset spatula, spread mixture evenly across baking paper (2–3 mm thickness). Mixture will thin out during baking.
- Transfer mixture onto prepared baking trays. Using an offset spatula, spread mixture evenly across baking paper (2-3mm thickness). Mixture will thin out during baking. Bake for 6-8 hours or until pureé is dry to the touch and pliable (see Tip). Set aside to cool completely on trays.
- Using scissors, trim ends off dried pear mixture and cut into 8 strips, then roll up to serve.
