This Elderberry Wine-Poached Pear Crostata is a new recipe I tried this summer that we really loved. Honestly, I thought it was amazing. Decadent enough to include as the finale for the finest Italian meal.
I mentioned earlier how we received boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables due to the Covid-19 Virus. Hundreds of produce boxes were given out to members of our little community all summer. Which, in itself, was really awesome.
Red Anjou Pears are perfect for poaching!
What was also really great about this distribution, was that we had the chance to try fresh produce that I normally wouldn’t purchase. Purple Plums, from which I made plum chutney, bags of oranges for freshly squeezed orange juice, and these really delicious Red Anjou Pears.
I’m honestly not much of a fruit person. I buy a little, but I’m never very enthusiastic or ambitious about it. You know how it goes. The same old, same old stuff ends up in my shopping basket. Bananas. Blueberries. Strawberries. Apples.
So, when these sweet little red pears (really, they looked like purple pears) ended up in my fridge, I knew I had to do something special with them. I immediately considered poaching them. Perhaps in wine? And serving them as poached pears with freshly whipped cream. Or serve them in a tart? A Galette? Or a Crostata? Yum!
See my recipe for Elderberry Wine-Poached Pears with Chantilly Cream Here.
What is a Galette, a Crostata, and a Slab Pie?
Have you ever wondered about the differences between a Galette, a Crostata, and a Tart?
Very little, actually. They are each rustic open-faced fruit desserts, that fold the dough up over the edges of the fruit to form a shell. Mostly the differences are about where the recipe originates. The French call these rustic tarts Galettes, while the Italians call them a Crostata. I have a feeling that folks in my part of the United States probably lean toward rustic tarts or slab pies.
However, since, I really enjoy serving Italian dinners to my family, I decided this recipe would be a Crostata! That wasn’t a hard decision.
Ingredients for Elderberry Wine-Poached Pear Crostata
(As a Walmart Affiliate, I earn from qualified purchases at the links below. See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
A Note About Elderberry Wine
For this recipe, I happened to have some sweet elderberry wine, so I decided to take a chance and see how it turned out in the recipe. It was fabulous! The extra flavor that the elderberries gave to this dish really pushed it into a top category for desserts. You know, like what you might try at a really fine restaurant.
Sweet or even semi-sweet wines are not something I normally have on hand, so the second time I made this dessert, I used a dry red wine and added more sugar (a total of maybe 10 tablespoons). This too, worked well, although it didn’t quite have that “amazing wow” factor.
DAll-in-all, if you’re going for a dessert that will leave your guests with such satisfaction they are speechless, buy some sweet or semi-sweet elderberry wine. The brand I tried was from Wyldewood Cellars, from here in Kansas.
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Begin by gathering the ingredients. Prepare the pears by coring and slicing them. (You may peel the pears or leave the skin on, your choice.) Cut off a large strip of peel from a fresh orange.
Poach the Pears
Place the elderberry wine, granulated sugar, orange peel, cinnamon stick, and cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil for five minutes.
Add the sliced pears and make sure they are covered by the wine. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the pears (and the orange peel, cinnamon stick, and cloves) and place in a bowl or plate to cool.
Continue to simmer the sauce for another 10-12 minutes until the wine has reduced to a thickened sauce. Allow to cool.
Prepare the Crust
Preheat oven to 375°F. To make the crust, I simply used my basic pie dough recipe and cut it in half for a single crust. To do that, combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Using a blending fork, cut in shortening until small crumbs form. Add water in two parts until dough forms a ball. Gently knead 3-4 times until the dough is smooth.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 13-inch circle. Transfer dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Arrange the pear slices on the dough, (being as decorative as you desire) beginning in the center and working outward, leaving a 2-inch border of dough. Pour the reduced wine sauce over the pears. Fold the dough edges up and over the pears. The center should remain open.
With your fingers, brush 1-2 tablespoons of milk over the top crust. Sprinkle with decorating sugar.
Bake in a preheated oven until crust has browned, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Carefully transfer the crostata to a serving plate or tray.
To serve, cut the Elderberry Wine-Poached Pear Crostata into 8-10 slices. Garnish with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. This recipe will serve 8-10 people.
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Elderberry Wine-Poached Pear Crostata
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Ingredients
- 3 cups elderberry wine (sweet or semi-sweet)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 strip orange peel
- 1 piece cinnamon stick
- 6 whole cloves
- 4 medium Red Anjou Pears
Pastry
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening (+ 2 tablespoons )
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 4 teaspoons Decorating Sugar
Instructions
- Begin by gathering the ingredients. Prepare the pears by coring and slicing them. (You may leave the skin on or peel the pears. Your choice.) Cut off a large strip of peel from a fresh orange.
Poach the Pears
- Place the elderberry wine, granulated sugar, orange peel, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil for five minutes.
- Add the sliced pears and make sure they are covered by the wine. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes until pears are just turning tender. Remove the pears (and the orange peel, cinnamon stick, and cloves) and place in a bowl or plate for them to cool.
- Continue to cook the sauce on medium low heat for another 10-12 minutes until the wine has reduced and is starting to thicken. Allow to cool. (The liquid will thicken as it cools.)
Prepare the Crust
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Combine all-purpose flour and salt in a medium bowl. Using a blending fork, cut in vegetable shortening until small crumbs form. Add cold water in two parts until dough forms a ball. Gently knead 3-4 times until the dough is smooth.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 13-inch circle. Transfer dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Arrange the pear slices on the dough, (being as decorative as you desire) beginning in the center and working outward, leaving a 2-inch border of dough. Pour the reduced wine sauce over the pears. Fold the dough edges up and over the pears. The center should remain open.
- With your fingers brush 1-2 tablespoons of milk over the top crust. Sprinkle with decorating sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven on one of the lower racks until crust has browned, about 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool. Carefully, transfer to a serving plate or tray.
- To serve, cut Crustata into slices. Garnish with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. This recipe will serve 8-10 people.
Nutrition
This crostata looks so beautiful and delicious you’ve inspired me to make what I’m calling a galette – though I’m using plums and a gluten-free crust. And mine won’t have elderberry wine until I come across some, but you can believe I’m on the lookout for it now!
I hope your galette turns out beautifully! Thanks for stopping by to say hello!
This looks really awesome. Pretty sure the pears soaked up in that delicious sauce and baked in the pie crust would be such a great combination!