Prep. time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

As its name suggests, Éphémère Poire is an ephemeral ale that comes and goes with the seasons. It was developed as a series of features a seasonal fruit in a refreshing, lightly spiced white ale. The label depicts a fairy, an ephemeral spirit associated with fruits picked at the peak of ripeness during each harvest season. She first appeared in the spring of 2001 and has since been celebrated on a variety of seasonal fruit ales featuring apple, cranberry, blackcurrant, peach, raspberry ad cherry.

In 2015, Unibroue adds a new flavor to Éphémère portfolio offering beer lovers a pear version.

This recipe was inspired by a classic portuguese pastry. It can be kept in the fridge for a few days in an air-tight container. Be sure to remove from the fridge 15-20 minutes before eating so natas will be at their best.

The pears

1.  Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F.
2. Melt butter over medium heat in a pan. Add the pears, the syrup, the beer and the nutmeg and mix thoroughly.
3. Cook for about 10 minutes until pears are soft and the liquid is almost completely reduced. Stir gently until well coated.
4. Drain the pears and set aside.

The tartlets

1. Lightly butter bottom and sides of a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. Roll up the dough and form a cylinder ; cut into 12 slices.
3. Roll each dough roll ; spread in the bottom and the sides (up to the rim) of each cup.

The filling

1. Place the egg yolks into a bowl.
2. In a small pot, dilute corn starch into milk.  Add beer, sugar and vanilla. Heat at medium temperature for a few minutes, stirring often, until the mixture has thickened lightly and the sugar has completely dissolved. Keep a close eye on it as the consistency does not take long to change.
3. Slowly combine 125 ml / ½ cup of the warm mik mixture (2) with the egg yolks (1), while whipping gently. The idea is to make the egg temperature rise without cooking them.
4. Lower the heat and add the egg mixture (1) to the rest of the milk in the pot (2), whipping gently. Remove the vanilla pod and discard.
5. Fill the muffin cups up to 1cm from the top of the dough (the mix with expand in the over and fall when it is taken out).

Finishing and cooking

1. Spread the pears at the center of the mix (about 1 tsp. per cup). Bake for about 25 minutes or until the dough is golden.
2. Take out of the oven and completely cool before unmoulding. Gently detach the sides with a knife before unmoulding. Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Éphémère Pear Beer