Provencal RecipesTasha PowellTaste

Valentines Cocktail and Festive Stained Glass Pear Slices

Stained Glass Pear Slices are an exciting way to add sparkle and elegance to any holiday. I highly recommend using a Mandolin to cut the slices super thin so that when they are crystallized and dry, they are practically transparent. I have made these Stained Glass Pear slices as garnishes for bourbon cocktails, martinis and as toppers for cakes and cupcake toppers.

Pink Stained Glass Pear Cupcake Toppers

As a side note, I wrote a thesis paper on the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres when I was at university, specifically on the stained glass windows of this magnificent cathedral, a few hours from Paris. I have always been attracted to the artistry and storytelling behind stained glass.

For Valentine’s Day, I made red stained glass pear slices and when inverted, they resemble hearts so I used them as individual cupcake toppers.

Stained Glass Pear Topper

Stained Glass Pear Slices

blankTasha Powell
These pear slices are festive and can be colourized to represent any holiday using natural food dyes such as beet juice or powder, dragon fruit powders, kale powder, matcha tea or traditional pastry dyes. (Note: the number of slices will depend on the size and quantity of your pears)
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Soaking Time 1 hour
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Condiment
Cuisine French
Servings 24 pieces

Equipment

  • Mandolin

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 Pears such as Barlett, Bosc or Anjou
  • 2 cups Water
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • Natural Food Dye like beet juice or powder or kale powder or several drops of food colouring

Instructions
 

  • Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the pears into ⅛-inch slices
  • If you're making the pears two different colours, pour half the sugar and half the water in one pot and the other half in another pot. Set both on the stove to simmer.  Add the dye, powder or food colouring and stir until it is dissolved.
  • Once all the sugar and food dyes are dissolved, add in the pear slices and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pear slices soak in the syrup for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Remove all the pear slices from the coloured syrup and arrange them on a sheet pan without overlapping.
  • Bake the pear slices for one hour. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and flip all the pear slices over. Bake for an additional 30 minutes.
  • We recommend that you use these Stained-Glass pear slices, gilded in gold, to garnish a Bourbon cocktail! For a final touch, gild the edge of each pear slice with edible gold!
Keyword Decoration, Festive, Pears
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

Stained Glass Pear Topper

Cherry Old Fashioned

blankTasha Powell
Enjoy this classic bourbon cocktail on Valentine's or any day.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 2 Cocktails

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Turbinado Sugar Cubes (light brown)
  • 4 dashes Orange Bitters
  • 2 oz Tart Cherry juice
  • 4 oz Bourbon

Instructions
 

  • Using old fashioned glasses, place two Turbinado sugar cubes into each glass and add 2 dashes of orange bitters.
  • Add 1 ounce of tart cherry juice. Using a bartending muddler, crush the sugar cubes. Fill each glass with large ice cubes.
  • Top each drink with 2 oz. of Bourbon. Stir until chilled and the sugar is dissolved.
  • Garnish with cherries, orange peel or stained glass crystallized pear slices.
Keyword Bourbon, Cocktails
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Valentine’s Cocktail Ideas:

Martini: Add dry vermouth to Mirabeau rosé gin for a perfect martini (007 may even approve).

Gin & Tonic: Mirabeau Rosé Gin and Tonic.

Gin and Rosé Sparkling cocktail: Mix pink gin with sparkling rosé from Provence and grapefruit juice in a cocktail shaker (recipe here).

For those who like a sweet-tart drink, this gin, rosé and grapefruit combination is a winner created by drink mixologist Hee Chung.

Chung also created a gin cocktail with Pure Rosé and rose ice cubes. If this drink doesn’t wow your sweetheart, nothing will.

Pink Elephant Martini Cocktail
This cocktail is festive, fun and easy to mix. Enjoy!
Pink Elephant Martini Cocktail
Pure Rosé Cocktail Recipe with rose ice cubes
The most time-consuming part of this drink recipe is making the ice cubes in advance. Find some beautiful miniature roses and freeze them in ice cube trays with water. The cocktail is delicious (of course), but the frozen rose ice cubes make the presentation.
Check out this recipe
Pure Rosé Cocktail Beautiful Rose Ice Cubes

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Tasha Powell

Tasha Powell

Tasha Powell is a food stylist and writer who specializes in working with celebrity chefs and leaders in the hospitality industry. She cooks and styles for monographs, cookbooks and Satellite Media Tours, working between North America and Europe. Take a look at her mouthwatering photos on Cooking with a French Twist. Since July 2020, she has offered themed Zoom cooking classes influenced by her travels in France and Morocco. Here are a few:

• Fusion Vegetarian Menu: Cheese Soufflé, Grilled Vegetable Kabobs, Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Lime Crème Fraiche & Floating Islands
• Fall in Provence: Carrot Soup, Seared Duck Breast and Chocolate & Pear Tarte
• 3-Course Gluten-Free Menu: Panisse, Grilled Shrimp & Chocolate Towers with Michelin Star plating techniques
• Food Styling Tips: Apéro Dînatoire, presentation & plating
• 4-Course Gluten-Free Menu: Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce, Zucchini Rollups, Roasted Leek Salad & Chocolate Lava Cakes, Michelin Star plating techniques
• Just Stuffed! Stuffed Aubergines, Tomatoes & Zucchini
• Provençal Cuisine: Baked Ratatouille Tian & Tarte du Soleil
• Add Sparkle, Shimmer, Silver and Gold to Your Culinary Presentations! By Lynn Neuberg of Easy Leaf Products and Chef Tasha Powell

Class listings can be found at Chef Tasha Events

Tasha also arranges culinary tours with Barbara Pitcher in Provence, France, in Marrakech, Morocco, in Sicily, Italy and in Parry Sound, Canada under Pitcher and Powell Cuisine and Culture.

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