A Harvest Dessert Party

A trio of harvest sweets, just right for a fall dessert party. Recipes for a rich Moscato jam, a pear galette, and a decadent chocolate chess pie with a nutty rye crust. This post is sponsored by Mirassou Winery. Jump to recipe. 

My favorite time of year is upon us. Chilly weather is still intermittent, but enough to remind us of winter’s approach. The natural world reflects the shift in temperature and season as leaves flutter down from colorful trees, birds careen in the brisk wind, and an immense groundhog shuffles about the yard brazenly. In the human world, it’s a time of duality – preparing to turn inward and hunker down for the winter, while also fitting in quick trips, time outside, and gatherings with friends.

Just ahead of the season of feasts and festivity that mark the transition from fall to winter, Brian and I decided to host a small fall dessert party to celebrate this moment before. As usual, we kept things simple – a pear galette, chocolate chess pie, and a cheese and fruit plate with a quick Moscato pear jam.

I started by making a simple pear jam with fresh pears and Mirassou Winery’s Moscato wine. I planned to serve the jam as part of my cheese plate as well as the base for a pear galette. I selected two distinctive cheeses for the cheese plate – a French triple cream and Spanish Capricho de Cabra goat cheese. Along with cheeses and jam, I made lightly toasted brioche crisps, and layered sliced pears, persimmons, and Concord and red grapes on the platter. Alongside the cheese plate, I served Mirassou Moscato – a lightly sweet wine with notes of honey and citrus that paired nicely with the rich cheeses, tangy jam, and subtle flavors of fall fruit.

The pear galette was just the right mix of rustic and refined with a nutty rye crust, a hint of lemon, and Moscato pear jam. It was a nice contrast to the richness of the chocolate chess pie. Also made with a rye crust, the chocolate chess was silky, super chocolaty, and just really good. Mirassou Winery’s Pinot Noir has notes of cherry and vanilla, and made for a balanced counterpoint to the sweet desserts.

Sharing the sun with Mirassou is all about approachable deliciousness, and it was fun to put together a menu to contrast and complement Mirassou Winery’s Moscato and Pinto Noir varietals. Once all the food was made and the wine poured, we enjoyed a perfect fall evening with friends.

A note on the recipes: both the galette and chocolate chess pie feature a crust made with rye flour – feel free to use a standard all-butter crust (recipe here) or the pie crust of your choice. Find the pear galette recipe here. 

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe

Pear Moscato Jam

A quick and easy pear and Moscato jam recipe.

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Makes: 2 pints

Author: Brooklyn Supper

Ingredients

• 5 medium pears , cored and chopped (I used a mix of Comice and Concorde)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup Mirassou Moscato wine
• zest of 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons liquid pectin

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stirring often, bring mixture to a vigorous boil and then turn heat down to a gentle simmer. Cook 35 - 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until jam thickens and pears have mostly broken down.
2. Turn heat to medium-high; when mixture boils, stir in pectin. Adjust heat so jam bubbles vigorously. Stirring frequently, cook 5 minutes more.
3. Spoon jam into sterilized jars. Sealed and refrigerated, jam will keep 1 - 2 months; opened jam will keep about a week in the fridge.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe

Chocolate Chess Pie

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

55 mins

 

A classic southern pie with a twist – a rich chocolate chess pie recipe with a nutty rye crust.

Recipe Type: Dessert

Makes: 10 servings

Author: Brooklyn Supper

Ingredients

For the Rye Crust

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rye flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter , cold
• 1 tablespoon vodka
• 4 - 5 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 5 - 6- inch vanilla bean , split lengthwise
• 8 tablespoons butter , melted and cooled
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 4 eggs , room temperature

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, use a fork to combine the flours, sugar, and sea salt. Grate in butter and massage into flour with fingertips. Fold in vodka and just enough ice water for dough to hold together.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a disc, and wrap tightly with plastic. Chill 30 minutes. For airier dough, roll dough into a rough 8 x 15-inch rectangle, fold over into thirds, and then roll envelope enough to hold together. Repeat 3 times, rewrap dough, and chill for 30 minutes or longer. (More on the technique here.)
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set a rimmed baking sheet in the oven to preheat as well. Butter a 9- or 10-inch metal pie pan. (This recipe calls for freezing the shell before baking; because glass or ceramic dishes can shatter, it's best to go with metal.)
4. Roll chilled dough into a rough 14-inch circle. Fold into quarters, and then unfold in prepared pie pan. Press dough into sides, trim all but 1-inch of the overhanging dough, then fold under edge and crimp. Set pie shell in freezer while you prepare filling.
5. Measure sugar into a small bowl. Scrape vanilla beans from the pods, rubbing with fingertips to incorporate beans into the sugar.
6. Whisk cocoa and cornmeal into melted butter.
7. In a large bowl, beat eggs vigorously for a full 30 seconds, until eggs are pale and frothy. Whisk in sugar, followed by butter and cocoa mixture. Mix just until smooth. Pour filling into frozen shell, gently set on preheated baking sheet, and slide into oven. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until all but the very center of the filling is set.
8. Cool 2 hours, slice, and serve.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Mirassou Winery. Thanks for supporting the sponsors who make Brooklyn Supper possible!