Cooked Pears with zabaione

I saw these little pears at the supermarket the other day, and immediately my mind went to my grandmother’s house in the countryside. She had an old pear tree that produced little, but very sweet small pears, very similar to the one on sale.

I couldn’t help buying them, hoping my hubby and daughter could enjoy them (I cannot eat most fruits unless they are cooked).

The pears  were getting ripe, and nobody seemed to appreciate them, so I decided to cook them, and I asked  the experts, my mom and aunt, on how their mother would do.

Make them with zabaione! They told me. What? An old family recipe which I did not know? 

Well, said and done.

Here is my version of course, I do not know about the exact recipe because I guessed it from what they told me over the phone. The pears were delicious, and even my daughter (always sceptical on cooked fruits)  appreciated them and asked for a second one.

For a small dessert (serves 4)

4 small pears

2 egg yolks

40 gr sugar

3 tb spoon marsala (or other aromatic wine, such as porto)

Wash and peel the pears.

Boil them in a small pan with half a glass water, two table spoons of wine and 3 table spoons of sugar. Let them cook for about 20 minutes or until soft, but still firm (try with a tooth-pick). let them cool.

In the meanwhile, separate the yolks from the white and put them in a glass bowl with the sugar.

Beat the yolks with the sugar with a whisker until the sugar dissolves.

Add the remaining marsala wine and beat an other minute.

In the meanwhile prepare a bain-marie but putting some water in a small pan. Put a ring on the bottom. The pan must be large enough to contain  the bowl but the bowl should not touch the sides of the pan. 

Put the pan over a medium heat.

Bring the water to the boil and cook until the cream becoming a little thick, stirring in continuously for about 10 minutes.

Put each pear in a very small bowl (this is the usual Ikea candle holder) an pour the zabaione over the cooked pears.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Store any leftover in the fridge for 1 day.

Tip 1: The pears are good enough even without the cream!

Tip 2: Do not discard the cooking water, it has a delicious fruit taste.