Give your holiday cocktails a twist with pears

In a small saucepan, warm the sugar, water and cinnamon stick pieces over low heat until the sugar dissolves and a syrup forms, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool the mixture completely; discard the cinnamon. In a large pitcher, combine the cooled cinnamon syrup with the Remy V, lemon juice and pear nectar. Cover the pitcher with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.

Add 12 ice cubes to the drink and stir briskly with a wooden spoon (this will melt some of the ice into the drink). Dividing evenly, pour the cocktail through a fine-mesh strainer into 12 chilled Martini glasses. Dust each drink with a pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg and serve.

To make the flatbreads, combine all of the flatbread ingredients in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix at low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. After the dough has rested, mix it again, on low speed using the dough hook, until soft and smooth, about 3 minutes. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the dough's surface, and cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough rise again, until it is very light and slightly puffed, about 1 hour. Gently punch down the dough and turn it onto a lightly-floured surface. Using additional flour as needed, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape each piece into a small ball. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet and cover with a towel; refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

For the topping, heat the oven to 500 degrees F for at least 45 minutes. If using a pizza stone, place it in oven to heat up. (If you don't have a pizza stone, place a large, heavy baking sheet upside down in the oven to heat up). Meanwhile, working on a lightly-floured surface, stretch each ball of dough to 9-inch round. Place 1 round on a floured pizza peel (or a rimless baking sheet dusted with flour) and brush lightly with some of the olive oil. Season to taste with the sea salt and pepper and top with one portion of the arugula. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top of the arugula and top with one portion each of the sliced pear, cheese and pancetta.

Slide the flatbread onto the hot pizza stone or upside-down baking sheet and bake, until the crust is golden brown and crisp and the cheese is melted, rotating it once or twice, about 10 to 11 minutes. Repeat with the remaining flatbreads; serve. Make ahead: The flatbreads can be assembled and baked up to 8 hours ahead of time and kept refrigerated. Bring them to room temperature before serving.

To make the caramel, in a 2 1/2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepot over medium-low heat combine the first 8 ingredients. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon and occasionally brushing the inside edge of the pot with a wet pastry brush, until the sugar dissolves, about 15 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high and cook at a rolling boil, stirring constantly but slowly with a wooden spoon, until the caramel reaches 236 degrees F on a candy thermometer, 12 more minutes, continuing to brush the inside edge of the pot with a wet pastry brush as needed. Pour the caramel into a metal bowl (do not scrape the pot out); submerge the thermometer bulb into the caramel to cool, without stirring until the temperature drops to 200 degrees F, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile line 2 baking sheets with parchment and butter the parchment. Insert 1 stick into the top of each pear, pushing it half way down into the pear. Holding the end of the stick, dip the pear into the cooled caramel, submerging all but the very top-end of the fruit, allowing the excess caramel to drip back into the bowl.

Turn the pear right side up to let the caramel set. Place the pear onto the prepared baking sheets. Repeat this process with the remaining pears and caramel, spacing the pears about 2 inches apart (the caramel may pool on the baking sheet). If the caramel becomes too thick to dip, whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cream, or as needed, and gently reheat the caramel in the bowl over a very low heat, stirring until it thins.

Refrigerate the coated pears until the caramel is partially set, about 15 minutes. Lift the pears one by one off the parchment and, using your hands, press and pull the cooling caramel around the fruit to cover it completely. Roll the coated pears in the crushed peanuts; let them rest about an hour before serving.

In a shaker filled with ice shake Martini Moscato d'Asti, vodka, simple syrup and lemon juice. Strain into a tall highball glass filled with ice and garnish with a slice of fresh pear (or lemon wedge).