Ingredients
Method
- Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper and place a parchment strip around the inside wall. Check that the pan measures at least 8 inches across inside and 3 inches deep. No oven is needed.
- Wash 18 ounces pears under running water, then peel, core and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Put them in a medium saucepan with 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons water and 2 1/4 teaspoons lemon juice. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 8–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a knife enters easily but the pieces still hold their shape. Drain through a strainer, reserving the cooking liquid. Spread the fruit in a shallow dish and refrigerate promptly until cool. Cool the reserved liquid separately.
- Line the pan using 9 ounces crisp ladyfinger cookies. Trim the wall cookies to 3 inches long, giving each a flat end to stand on. Arrange them closely together with their sugared faces against the parchment. Fit a single layer of cookies across the bottom, cutting them as needed and using trimmings to close gaps without stacking. Before proceeding, check that the lined cavity has at least 7 inches of clear diameter and 2 1/2 inches of depth from the cookie base to the cookie tops. These dimensions provide slightly more than the required 1.5 liters of usable lined capacity. Lightly brush the bottom layer with the cooled pear cooking liquid, moistening the surface without soaking it or leaving puddles. Leave the upright cookies dry and discard unused cooking liquid.
- Pour 3 tablespoons water into a small bowl and sprinkle 2 1/4 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin evenly over the surface. Let stand for 5–10 minutes, or according to the package directions, until fully hydrated. In a separate bowl, whip 9 fluid ounces heavy whipping cream to soft peaks: it should hold a gentle mound with a tip that bends over. Refrigerate the whipped cream while making the custard.
- Wash and dry the saucepan, then heat 9 fluid ounces whole milk over medium-low heat until steaming, without boiling. In a bowl, whisk 3 large egg yolks with 6 tablespoons granulated sugar until evenly combined. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the yolk mixture, then return everything to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and corners, until the custard lightly coats the spatula and reaches 180–182°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 3–6 minutes. Do not let it boil.
- Immediately strain the hot custard into a clean bowl. Add the bloomed gelatin and stir until it has completely dissolved, with no visible granules or soft lumps. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Set the custard bowl in an ice-water bath, keeping water out of the bowl. Stir frequently for about 10–15 minutes, until the custard is no longer warm but still flows freely. Remove it from the bath before it begins to gel around the edges. If it starts to thicken into lumps, set the bowl briefly over warm water and stir until smooth and fluid again, then let it cool before proceeding.
- Whisk a generous spoonful of the whipped cream into the cooled, fluid custard to lighten it. Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a flexible spatula until no white streaks remain. Drain any liquid that has collected beneath the cooled pears, then fold the fruit into the filling.
- Immediately spoon all the filling into the ladyfinger-lined pan, distributing the pear pieces evenly. The filling should sit below the cookie tops in the correctly sized shell. Smooth the surface. Cover without touching the filling and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until the center is set and moves as a single mass rather than rippling when the pan is gently nudged.
- Release the springform ring slowly and peel away the parchment collar. For the easiest handling, leave the dessert on the pan base and set it on a serving plate. Cut with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between slices. Return the dessert to the refrigerator promptly after serving.
Notes
Equipment: 8-inch springform pan with an interior depth of at least 3 inches; the cookie-lined cavity must hold at least 1.5 liters, approximately 6 1/3 US cups, to the cookie tops; Parchment paper; Medium saucepan with lid; Fine-mesh strainer; Shallow dish; Mixing bowls; Electric mixer or whisk; Flexible spatula; Instant-read thermometer; Pastry brush; Large bowl for an ice-water bath; Ruler
Allow about 20 minutes for cooling beyond the active preparation, plus at least 6 hours of refrigeration. Fruit cooling overlaps with lining the pan and preparing the filling. Overnight chilling is convenient but is not included in the listed time.
Keep covered and refrigerated at 40°F or below. Use within 3–4 days of cooking the custard; the ladyfingers will soften further during storage.
For make-ahead preparation, assemble the dessert the day before serving and refrigerate overnight.
The cooked pears may be prepared a day ahead. Refrigerate the drained fruit and cooking liquid separately in covered containers, and use the assembled dessert within 3 days.
Serve cold. Reheating is not appropriate for this gelatin-set dessert.
The custard contains raw egg yolks before cooking. Do not taste the uncooked mixture. Cook to the specified temperature, which exceeds the minimum safe egg-dish temperature of 160°F.
Wash hands, utensils and work surfaces after handling raw eggs.
Cool the pears promptly in a shallow container and cool the custard in an ice-water bath. Refrigerate the assembled dessert immediately.
Limit total unrefrigerated handling and serving time to 2 hours, or 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F.