Spiced Poached Pears
Adapted from Kitchen of Friends.
3-4 riped Bosc pears, peeled but do not remove the stems
2 c. Red wine (your choice)
1/4 c. Grand Marnier
2 Cinnamon Sticks
3 Tbsp Sugar
2-3 slices Mandarin orange (or 1-2 slices Navel orange)
[Note: I used Bartlet pears because it's what I have at home. But when they are perfectly ripe (like mine was), they are very soft to handle once they are poached. Therefore, I highly recommend using the Bosc pears (as most recipes do) for a firmer flesh that will make it easier to work with and gives a better texture when they are consumed.]
Arrange the pears in a sauce pan.
Combine the red wine, Grand Marnier, cinnamon sticks, sugar and orange slices. Pour over the pears. Bring to a simmer.
Allow the pears to simmer in the wine sauce for approximately 30 min. Rotate or bast the pears occasionally with the sauce.
Carefully transfer the poached pears to another dish and allow the pears to cool to room temperature.
Discard the cinnamon sticks and orange slices. Continue to simmer the wine sauce until only ~ 1/4 cup of sauce remained, approximately 30-40 min. It will appear to coat the bottom of the pan.
Pour the sauce over the poached pears. Once both pears and wine sauce have cooled to room temperature, chill for a minimum of 3 hours.
Drizzle the wine sauce over the pears and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
My comments:
I love pears. When it is perfectly ripe, there is no other fruit on this planet that can compare. So sweet, so juicy, so delicious!!
Pears never last long enough to become part of any recipes in my house. While I often drool over recipes and photos, poaching pears just seems to be to a lot of work for something that's already heavenly delicious. I mean, why ruin a good thing, right?
I've been itching to try something new; it's overdue that I expand my dessert repertoire beyond chocolate and butter. There's nothing wrong with chocolate and butter, but there's also nothing wrong with having a light and healthy dessert every now and then. Since I've got 4 riped pears awaiting its fate, I figured I might as well put a spin to their ultimate sacrifice...and I came across this super easy poached pear recipe...plus I've got a huge bottle of Grand Marnier at the top of my fridge, collecting dust.
Oh boy! Was I glad that I didn't just chowed down those pears!! These poached pears were Awe-Some!! My mom and I each had one. Then, we looked at each other and our brainwaves connected: we are splitting the third pear. And my house smelled so good while the pears were poaching - the fruity, cinnamon-y red wine smell. Deeeee-lish!!!!
The pears' sweet and fruity aroma paired wonderfully with the tartness from the red wine sauce. The citrus and cinnamon flavour reminded me of sitting in front of a warm cozy fire in a cold winter day. The best thing about this dessert is that it is low in calories when eaten by itself but if you are looking for something a little richer, serve the pears with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Mmm, mmm, mmMM!!
Now that I know how easy it is to make poached pears, I'll have to explore some other recipes. I have a feeling this is going to be very popular in this house. :)
3-4 riped Bosc pears, peeled but do not remove the stems
2 c. Red wine (your choice)
1/4 c. Grand Marnier
2 Cinnamon Sticks
3 Tbsp Sugar
2-3 slices Mandarin orange (or 1-2 slices Navel orange)
[Note: I used Bartlet pears because it's what I have at home. But when they are perfectly ripe (like mine was), they are very soft to handle once they are poached. Therefore, I highly recommend using the Bosc pears (as most recipes do) for a firmer flesh that will make it easier to work with and gives a better texture when they are consumed.]
Arrange the pears in a sauce pan.
Combine the red wine, Grand Marnier, cinnamon sticks, sugar and orange slices. Pour over the pears. Bring to a simmer.
Allow the pears to simmer in the wine sauce for approximately 30 min. Rotate or bast the pears occasionally with the sauce.
Carefully transfer the poached pears to another dish and allow the pears to cool to room temperature.
Discard the cinnamon sticks and orange slices. Continue to simmer the wine sauce until only ~ 1/4 cup of sauce remained, approximately 30-40 min. It will appear to coat the bottom of the pan.
Pour the sauce over the poached pears. Once both pears and wine sauce have cooled to room temperature, chill for a minimum of 3 hours.
Drizzle the wine sauce over the pears and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
My comments:
I love pears. When it is perfectly ripe, there is no other fruit on this planet that can compare. So sweet, so juicy, so delicious!!
Pears never last long enough to become part of any recipes in my house. While I often drool over recipes and photos, poaching pears just seems to be to a lot of work for something that's already heavenly delicious. I mean, why ruin a good thing, right?
I've been itching to try something new; it's overdue that I expand my dessert repertoire beyond chocolate and butter. There's nothing wrong with chocolate and butter, but there's also nothing wrong with having a light and healthy dessert every now and then. Since I've got 4 riped pears awaiting its fate, I figured I might as well put a spin to their ultimate sacrifice...and I came across this super easy poached pear recipe...plus I've got a huge bottle of Grand Marnier at the top of my fridge, collecting dust.
Oh boy! Was I glad that I didn't just chowed down those pears!! These poached pears were Awe-Some!! My mom and I each had one. Then, we looked at each other and our brainwaves connected: we are splitting the third pear. And my house smelled so good while the pears were poaching - the fruity, cinnamon-y red wine smell. Deeeee-lish!!!!
The pears' sweet and fruity aroma paired wonderfully with the tartness from the red wine sauce. The citrus and cinnamon flavour reminded me of sitting in front of a warm cozy fire in a cold winter day. The best thing about this dessert is that it is low in calories when eaten by itself but if you are looking for something a little richer, serve the pears with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Mmm, mmm, mmMM!!
Now that I know how easy it is to make poached pears, I'll have to explore some other recipes. I have a feeling this is going to be very popular in this house. :)
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