1 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
Crepes
2 cups whole milk
6 large eggs
1⅓ cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon saltVegetable oil
Filling
¼ cup dried currants
1½ tablespoons dark rum
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 firm but ripe Bosc pears, peeled, halved, cored, cut into ¼-inch cubes
½ cup sugar, divided
1 8-ounce package Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
MAPLE BUTTER SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients in heavy small saucepan over low heat until butter is melted. Cool until slightly thickened, whisking occasionally.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead; chill.
CREPES: Blend milk and eggs in blender until smooth. Add flour, butter, sugar and salt; blend until smooth batter forms. Chill in blender at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Reblend for 5 seconds before using.
Heat 10-inch-diameter nonstick skillet with 8-inch-diameter bottom over medium-high heat; brush with oil. Pour scant 3 tablespoons batter into skillet. Rotate and shake skillet to spread batter over bottom. Cook until crepe is brown at edges and appears dry on top, about 20 seconds. Turn crepe over. Cook until brown spots form on bottom of crepe, about 12 seconds. Turn crepe out onto paper towel; cover with another paper towel. Repeat, making about 26 crepes, occasionally brushing skillet with oil.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
FILLING: Mix currants and rum in small bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Mix in pears and ¼ cup sugar. Cook until pears are tender and brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes; cool.
Beat cream cheese, eggs, lemon peel, vanilla, and remaining ¼ cup sugar in medium bowl. Beat in ricotta cheese, then stir in pear and currant mixtures. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 15×10×2-inch glass baking dish. Place 1 crepe, spotted side up, on work surface. Shape ¼ cup filling into 3-inch-long log in center of crepe. Fold bottom of crepe over filling. Fold in sides; roll up. Place seam side down in prepared dish. Repeat with remaining filling and crepes.
Cover dish with foil. Bake blintzes until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of filling registers 160°F to 170°F, about 45 minutes.
Whisk sauce over low heat until just warm and smooth. Place 2 blintzes on each plate. Serve blintzes with sauce.
The after-dinner combination of fruit and cheese is transformed here, as pear halves are cooked in a red wine-citrus poaching liquid that becomes a syrup served with the sliced and fanned pears. Placing a parchment paper round atop the pears helps keep them moist and covered with liquid as they poach. France’s famed triple-crème cheese is served alongside. This cheese has a soft rind and a luscious rich texture—it contains at least 75 percent butterfat. Delicious examples include Brillat-Savarin, Le Delice de Bourgogne, Explorateur, Boursault, and Saint André. 4 servings
1½ cups dry red wine
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup orange juice
1 3×¾-inch strip lemon peel (yellow part only)
1 whole clove
2 medium-size firm but ripe pears, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored (stems left intact)
1 tablespoon crème de cassis (black currant liqueur; optional)
8 ounces triple-crème cheese, cut into 4 wedges
Combine wine, sugar, orange juice, lemon peel, and clove in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pear halves to saucepan. Cut out round of parchment paper same size as saucepan. Place parchment round atop pears, pushing edges of parchment into liquid to prevent edges from curling up. Reduce heat and barely simmer until pears are tender when pierced with knife, about 12 minutes.
Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to bowl. Boil liquid in saucepan until slightly syrupy and reduced to ¾ cup, about 14 minutes. Cool syrup to room temperature; stir in crème de cassis, if desired. Pour syrup over pears. Cover and chill at least 12 hours, turning pears occasionally.
Thinly slice pear halves lengthwise almost to stem end, leaving stems attached. Spoon generous 1 tablespoon pear syrup onto each of 4 plates. Top each with 1 pear half, pressing gently to fan. Serve with cheese.
Fruit simmered in cinnamon syrup is a typical after-dinner treat throughout Mexico. In this recipe, the sweetness is balanced with sour cream and lime. Poaching is gentler than boiling, so lower the heat on the syrup when the fruit is added to allow the syrup to gently simmer and the fruit to stay intact. Use a vegetable peeler to remove just the green part of the lime peel. 6 servings
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
3 1-pound papayas, peeled, halved, seeded, cut into ½-inch-thick wedges
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6 2×½-inch strips lime peel (green part only)
1 cinnamon stickSour cream, stirred to loosenAdditional lime peel, cut into matchstick-size strips
Bring 2 cups water and sugar to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until syrup thickens slightly, about 6 minutes. Add papaya wedges, lime juice, lime peel, and cinnamon stick. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until papayas are just tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer papayas to bowl. Boil syrup until reduced to 1 cup, about 6 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Pour syrup over papayas and chill at least 2 hours.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Spoon papayas and syrup into dessert dishes. Drizzle with sour cream and garnish with matchstick-size strips of lime peel.
With just three ingredients and a little water, this light and lovely dessert is a refreshing finish to any meal, and an excellent accompaniment to Sesame-Almond Macaroons (page 557). Crème de cassis is available at many supermarkets and at most liquor stores. If it’s unavailable, Chambord (black raspberry liqueur) or Cointreau (orange liqueur) can be used instead. 4 servings
2 large pink grapefruits (about 14 ounces each)
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ tablespoons water
2 tablespoons crème de cassis (black currant liqueur)Fresh mint sprigs (optional)
Using small sharp knife, remove peel and white pith from grapefruits. Working over bowl to catch juice, cut between membranes to release segments. Reserve juice in bowl. Arrange grapefruit segments decoratively on plates.