Morsels

From Jean-Georges Vongrichten via my Uncle Kinloch who highly recommends:

Ingredients:

1 vanilla bean, split in half. One half reserved for another use.

3 eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

6 T flour plus a little bit more for dusting the pan

3/4 cup cream, creme fraiche or yogurt

3/4 cup milk

3 star anise, ground in a coffee grinder

pinch salt

1 t butter

4 ripe pears, peeled

1 t eau de vie or brandy (optional)

1. Preaheat oven to 350 degrees. Scrape the seeds out of one half of the vanilla bean (you could substitute 1/2 t vanilla extract)

2. beat the eggs with the vanilla until frothy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until foamy and light.

3. Add the flour and beat until smooth. Add the creme fraiche, milk or yogurt and the anise and salt. Let rest while you prepare the pears and the pan.

4. Choose a 9×5x2 gratin dish or a 10 inch round deep pie pan and smear with butter (on the inside silly!) Dust it with flour and tap it all around to get the flour to coat the dish or pan and then tap the excess flour out.

5. Cut the pears into 6ths or 8ths, remove the cores, layer them nicely in the bottom of the dish. sprinkle the eau-de-vie on top. Pour the batter over them, leaving just a little of the tops of the pears peeking through.

6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted comes clean. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve either warm or room temp.