A Visit from the Goon Squad and A Hidden Pear Treat

This book...A Visit from the Good Squad by Jennifer Egan...I don't know if I know how to express my feelings over this book...

So, the first chapter, I was really interested in the character that I was introduced to and to have someone else in chapter 2, I was a bit thrown off.

By chapter 3, I was confused and a little frustrated because I enjoy books where I feel like I become friends with the main character. Like they are telling me their life story, but in this book I meet new people in each chapter and just get pieces and parts of each person until I finally reached the end and understood what the point of this book was. But, honestly, never connected to anyone and felt like I was forcing myself to finish it.

I definitely didn't read any reviews, but I am not someone that likes to read them. I like to go into a book kind of blind and make up my own mind.

However, after reading this book, I needed to know if I was just dumb or how others felt about it and the reviews are very mixed.

Some people said they were also confused and could not connect to the book, but other say it was intelligent and one of the best books they have read.

However, for me, I didn't like this book.

I want to be best friends with the character and honestly, I didn't like any of them.

I really wanted to connect with Sasha in the first chapter, but I couldn't. I didn't even realize I was introduced to her throughout the other chapters because I kept losing track of who was who.

So, I did not like this book and I didn't like the moral either.

Time is not a goon. Time is a gift and we need to see everyday as a gift.

I know, a cliche, but so important to remember because we have no idea what each day has to offer and we should grab life by the horns and ride!

I know...bad, but I wanted to prove a point.

So, all in all, not my kind of book.

Which means, I felt like I needed to make a dessert that was a mystery and complicated, and something that no one would expect.

But I couldn't make it bad because, just because the book was not worth it, does not mean the dessert should not be worth every bite.

I mean, it is dessert. It needs to be worth every bite.

Which is why I made this Hidden Pear Treat.

It looks so simple and so sweet, but honestly, it is a pain in the...butt.

I have always wanted to make something like this, but I knew it was going to be difficult and I knew I was going to hate myself while making it.

So, I think this dessert is a perfect representation of this book, while on the outside, it seemed good, but on the inside, there is just so much going on, so many layers that by the end you think, what was it? Where is the rest? I want more.

So, say hello, to the Hidden Pear Treat!

Now, let's get to the bake.

*I do have to say, I did not take pictures because there was just a lot of steps and a lot to do, so please forgive me.*

Prep:

Funny enough, there is nothing to prep at the beginning, but you will need some large and small silicon half circles on hand.

Ingredients:

- Pear Juice:

3 medium pears - cubed

1 cup water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 trip of lemon skin

- Caramel:

75 grams light brown sugar (if you don't have brown sugar you can mix 100 grams granulated sugar with 1/2 teaspoon molasses)

60 grams Goldsaft

60 grams unsalted butter

1 can (about 400 grams) sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

- Pear Filling:

250 grams pear juice

30 grams granulated sugar

5 grams agar agar

1 pear - cut into small cubes

- Spiced Cake:

1 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

small pinch of nutmeg

small pinch of cloves

small pinch of allspice

1/4 cup unsalted butter - room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 large tablespoon of yogurt

- Easy Peasy Pudding Moouse

1 package vanilla pudding - also the amount of milk the recipe calls for

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar - add more for flavor

- Random Pieces:

1/4 cup toasted walnuts

1 teaspoon dried edible flowers

Instructions:

- Step 1 - Make the Pear Juice

*If you don't want to make pear juice, you can go ahead and buy it too*

In a medium pot, toss in the 3 medium pears that have been cubed, 1 cup of water, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 trip of lemon skin and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.

Once boiling, turn the heat to medium-low and add a lid. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the pears are soft.

Once the pears are soft, put too the side with the lid slightly off to cool completely.

- Step 2 - Start the Caramel

In a small pan, add the 75 grams of light brown sugar, 60 grams of Goldsaft, and 60 grams of butter and bring to a boil on medium-high heat - stirring constantly.

Once at a boil, bring the temperature down to medium-low and continue to stir continuously for around 10 minutes while it boils softly - it will start to smell like caramel, which is what you want and the color will darken slightly.

*I do apologize, I did not get any pictures of the caramel making process, but I promise it is easy and just use your nose, it will help.*

- Step 3 - Add Sweetened Condensed Milk

Quickly add the 1 can of sweetened condensed milk while the caramel stays on the heat.

Continue to stir until the caramel has darkened and it has started to thicken - about 10-15 minutes.

Keep Stirring! - You can do this!

- Step 4 - Take Caramel off the Heat

Once the caramel has started to thicken, pull it off the heat and add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and mix until completely incorporated.

Spoon the caramel into a different bowl and set off to the side to cool until it is just soft and cooled - about 1 hour.

- Step 5 - Blend the Pear Juice

Blend the pear juice until it is smooth.

- Step 6 - Start Pear Filling

In a small pot, add 250 grams of pear juice, 30 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of agar agar and bring to a boil on medium heat.

Once boiling, pull the juice off the heat and pour into another container to cool completely until it thickens - could take about an hour.

Once thickened, blend it until smooth and add in the 1 chopped pear.

- Step 7 - Freeze

Spoon the pear filling into a miniature sphere form.

Place the pear filling into the freezer and move into the next step!

- Step 8 - Prepare the Cake Pan

Line a small baking dish (about 7 inches by 4 inches) with baking paper and then butter the surface well and set aside until needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

- Step 9 - Start the Cake

In a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, small pinch of nutmeg, small pinch of cloves, and a small pinch of allspice.

- Step 10 - Cream the Butter

In a large bowl, cream the 1/4 cup of butter until smooth - about 2-3 minutes.

Add the 1/3 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of brown sugar, and mix until the sugar is well incorporated - about 2-3 minutes.

Add the 1 egg and the 1 large tablespoon of yogurt and mix for just a minute.

- Step 11 - Mix the Dry and Wet Ingredients

Spoon in half the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated and then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.

- Step 12 - Bake the Cake

Spoon the cake batter into your prepared baking pan and bake the cake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Once baked, let the cake cool completely.

- Step 13 - Make the Easy Peasy Mousse

*I decided to do a mousse with a pudding because I have the hardest time making mousse from scratch for some reason. But, I believe in you if you want to do mousse from scratch!*

Make the pudding as stating on the back of the pudding box without the sugar.

Once the pudding is complete, place into a separate container and cool completely.

- Step 14 - Complete the Mousse

Once the pudding is cooled completely and set, start the cream.

In a large mixer, mix the 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream with 1/4 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.

Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the pudding and fold in carefully.

Once well blended, add the remaining whipped cream into the pudding mixture and fold until smooth and all one color.

- Step 15 - Put it All Together

Using a large silicone sphere sprinkle a few dried flowers in the bottom and then fill the outside with the easy peasy mousse leaving the middle empty.

Take one of the frozen pear spheres and press it into the middle of the mousse.

Don't forget those roasted walnuts!

Sprinkle little tiny pieces onto the pear sphere.

Take a small spoon of caramel and add a tiny dollip to the top of the walnuts.

Cut a piece of cake out that is just slightly smaller than the diameter of your mousse sphere. If the cake is thicker than 3 or 4 millimeters, cut it smaller than press into the top of the caramel.

Add more cream to the top of the cake so that there are no holes on top.

- Step 16 - Freeze

Place the spheres into the fridge and let set for a few hours.

Once set, pop these little pretty things out of their molds and enjoy!