Almond Financier with Honey-Mint Poached Pears

Directions

1. Almond Financier: Flour, Almond flour, Powdered sugar, Egg whites, Butter , Slivered almonds
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F In a large bowl, stir up the powdered sugar, flour and almond flour. Pour in the egg whites and whisk the mixture until smooth. Set the mixture aside.
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter over high heat and watch it melt. Keep your eye on it as you do not want it to burn. The color you are aiming for it a chestnut brown. Once you smell a nice and nutty aroma, the butter is done. It will take about 5-7 minutes. Make sure the butter does not start smoking, that's when you know it is burnt.
4. Slowly incorporate the browned butter into the flour and egg white mixture. There will be some blackish milk solids at the bottom of the saucepan. Make sure not to pour that into the batter. It will make it taste bitter. Just leave that in the pan.
5. Now it's time to bake the financiers. I used mini tart pans from Williams-Sonoma, but you don't have to. You can use cupcake tins or mini brioche pans. Spray the pans with cooking spray or coat them with butter. Fill the pans until halfway full. Sprinkle the slivered almonds on top. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool as we prepare the pears.

1. Poached Pears: Canola oil, Bartlett pears, Honey, Mint, Water
2. Cut the pears along the four sides. Try to get most of the fruit off, cutting close to the core.
3. Heat a saute pan over high heat and pour in the oil once the pan is heated. Toss in the pears and allow them to sit for 30 seconds before stirring. Cook the pears for about 5 minutes. If desired, move them around to get each both sides seared.
4. Once the pears have cooked for a while, add in the honey and mint. Stir the ingredients together and allow the pears to release their juices while taking in the honey and mint as well. Let them cook in the honey for about 5-7 minutes. If the edges of the pan seem to be too caramelized and start to look burnt, add some water. After about 5-7 minutes, poke the pears to test their tenderness. If they are still hard and the liquid is evaporating too quickly, add more water and honey and turn the heat to medium. Once the pears are tender (test by poking a toothpick or fork into the center), pour them into a sheet tray and let cool. Reserve any left over syrup.
5. Take the cooled financiers out of their pans and place them onto small doilies or onto a small plate. Cut the pears into thin strips. Place the sliced pears, in their original shape, onto a financier. Gently top each pear with a fresh mint leaf and brush the entire surface of the dessert with the left over syrup from the pears.