Mascarpone and Pear Cakes

In a large non-stick skillet, combine the pears, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the pears are tender and caramelized. Remove from heat and stir in the orange liquor. Drain the pears and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, fold the mascarpone cheese, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla extract together. Set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, with whisk attachment fixed, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Bring the water to a boil and then stir in the gelatin until dissolved. Add the gelatin mixture to the mascarpone mixture and fold together, then fold in the whipped cream. Fold in the pears until evenly dispersed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

While the filling is chilling, prepare the crusts. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond meal and confectioner’s sugar. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, with whisk attachment fixed, whip the egg whites with the kosher salt, until soft peaks form. At this point, very slowly add the granulated sugar to the egg whites until all of it is added. Continue mixing until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the almond meal mixture.

Divide the mixture between the two baking sheets and spread it out with an offset spatula to about ½ - ¼ inch in thickness. Place both baking sheets in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. The crusts should be “meringue-like” and slightly golden. While the crust is still warm, cut rounds out of the crust using a 2-inch cookie cutter and then transfer the rounds to a wire rack to cool completely.

Assemble your mascarpone and pear cakes by dolloping a healthy amount of mascarpone filling onto the top of half of the almond crust rounds. Place the remaining half on top. Place the cakes in the fridge to chill while you prepare your chocolate drizzle.

In a small bowl, add both the Perugina Bittersweet Chocolate Bar and the Perugina Dark Chocolate, Limoncello. Place the bowl in the microwave and melt for 1 minute. After 1 minute, give the chocolate a stir and then continue melting in 30-second increments (stirring after each) until all of the chocolate has melted.

Dust your mascarpone and pear cakes with additional confectioner’s sugar and drizzle with the bittersweet chocolate limoncello drizzle. Enjoy!