A TASTE OF C-CAP: Al’s Pear Confit and Cheesecake with Brown Butter Ice Cream

Brown Butter Ice Cream

• 1 c. butter
  
• 1 1/2 c. milk (to deglaze butter)
  
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
  
• 2 Tbs. sugar
  
• 1/4 c. light corn syrup
  
• 1 tsp. salt
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cheesecake

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/4 c. sugar
  
• 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 1 egg + 1 yolk
  
• 2 Tbs. heavy cream

Milk Skin

• 2 c. milk
  
• 1 1/4 tsp. agar powder
  
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
  
• 1 Tbs. sugar
  
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Graham Crumble

• 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
  
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  
• 6 Tbs. soft butter
  
• 1/4 tsp. salt
  
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder
  
• 1/3 c. brown sugar

Pear Confit

• 4 pears (yellow Bartlett or Comice preferred), peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thin on a Japanese mandolin
  
• 2/3 c. butter, melted
  
• 1/2 c. sugar
  
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder
  
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbs. (2 oz.) quince paste, whipped until smooth, for garnish
  

1. To make ice cream: Put butter in tall sauce pot. Cook on high heat until butter melts and milk solids have burned on bottom of pot about 10 minutes. When solids are dark brown, turn off heat and slowly add milk. It will bubble up, so stir slowly to incorporate, using wooden spoon to scrape solids free from bottom. Place pot in refrigerator to steep overnight and allow butter solids to harden again. Following day, use warm knife to cut hole in butter toward one edge of pot. Pull out piece of butter; pour brown buttermilk through hole.
   
2. Place brown buttermilk, corn syrup, heavy cream, sugar and salt in another pot; bring to a boil. In separate bowl, combine eggs and vanilla. Quickly temper hot liquid into eggs, stirring to combine. Strain through fine sieve into clean container and place in ice water bath (cold water + ice). Cool until chilled through. Process in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to clean container and freeze until firm.
   
3. To make cheesecake: Place cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch in bowl of KitchenAid-type mixer. Cream until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg and yolk; mix until incorporated. Add milk and vanilla; mix 2 more minutes. Place batter in prepared 8-inch cake pan (butter pan and line bottom with parchment). Bake at 250° for 20 minutes until center bounces back when touched. Remove from oven and cool 25 minutes.
   
4. Place baked cheesecake in KitchenAid bowl fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on high 3 minutes. Place whipped cheesecake in piping bag and fill small half hemisphere molds to the top. Use spatula to remove any excess batter. Freeze 30 minutes. Unmold cheesecake and place halves together to make small balls. Hold in place with toothpicks. Return to freezer until needed.
   
5. To make milk skin: Split and scrape vanilla bean; put whole bean plus seeds into small sauce pot along with other ingredients. Bring to a simmer; cook 2 minutes. Remove cheesecake balls from freezer and quickly dip in hot milk. Allow skin to set 8 seconds then place cheesecake balls on clean sheet pan. Store cheesecake in refrigerator until needed.
   
6. To make graham crumble: Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mix until starts to clump. Using a clean cooling rack, take handfuls of dough and push through rack onto a sheet pan in an even layer. Chill in refrigerator until firm, about 10 minutes. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool. Store in clean, dry container.
   
7. To prepare pear confit: Preheat oven to 300°. Mix salt, cinnamon and sugar in bowl. Butter bottom of 6-inch x 6-inch ceramic terrine mold. Place layer of sliced pears on bottom of terrine; brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat until terrine is full. Cover top with parchment and place second terrine mold filled with dry beans on top for weight. Bake 4 to 6 hours until liquid is light caramel color at edges and center is tender when knife inserted. Remove from oven and cool, then refrigerate 1 hour. Remove and unmold. Use a sharp knife to cut confit into 1 1/4-inch cubes. Store at room temperature.
   
8. To serve, lightly warm pear confit in oven. Remove, sprinkle with sugar and burn with culinary torch until sugar is caramelized. Smear 1 tsp. quince paste in bowl. Place a few pear confit cubes and cheesecake balls in the center. Spoon graham crumble over top and add a scoop of brown butter ice cream. Serve immediately. Makes 12 to 16 servings.