Duo of crunchy cream puffs, star anise pear brunoise, mascarpone whipped cream |

Preparation time: 20 min

Preheat your Four at 400 °F

• Preparation for the choux

  Bring the water, milk, sugar, butter and vanilla to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour. Mix with a wooden spoon vigorously until the mix is homogeneous. Place the pot back on the stove and cook the dough until it no longer feels wet when you touch it. (it should only feel buttery). Transfer to a bowl and let it cooldown for 5 minutes. Once it is cold enough (where you can leave your finger in it for 4 seconds) start adding the eggs one by one until you reach the desired consistency. Transfer the dough into a pastry bag with a round or star tip and make your choux into golf ball sized balls and cook in the oven immediately.

• Crunchy cookies

  In a bowl, mix the butter until you get a creamy consistency. Add the brown sugar, then the flour and mix well. Put the dough aside in the fridge for 4 hours.
  Then spread the dough like a pie, gently, not thicker than 2mm. Put back in the fridge for another 40 minutes.
  Using a cookie cutter, cut some rounds. Then place them on the puff pastries before the cooking.

• Preparation for the mascarpone cream

  Whip the mascarpone in a bowl, once smooth, set aside in the fridge.

  Add the powdered sugar to the cream, whip it to a creamy consistency and add the mascarpone to the cream while whisking.

• Preparation for the poached pears

  Cut the pears lengthwise and take the core out. Poach the pears in the syrup for approximately 20 minutes until they are tender. Cut them into small dice (brunoise).