Poached Pears
 

Poached Pears

An easy dinner party dessert that can be prepared in advance so you have more time to spend with guests.

Ingredients

  • 6 whole Pears, peeled
  • 1 Vanilla Pod
  • 1 Bottle of Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot works best)
  • 8oz Superfine Sugar
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • Sprig of fresh Thyme for decoration
  • Handful of chopped almonds

Step 1

Halve the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds then place the seeds and remaining pod in a large sauce pan along with the red wine, sugar and cinnamon stick.

Step 2

Lower the pears in to the pan ensuring they are submerged in the wine and cover with the lid.

Step 3

Poach the pears for around 20 minutes or until they are tender all the way through.

Step 4

Remove the pears from the pan, then continue to boil the liquid to form a syrup. Once the liquid is reduced, leave to one side to cool.

Step 5

Slice the pears in half and serve with the cooled syrup, a sprig of thyme and some whipped mascarpone cheese or whipped cream. Sprinkle each serving with chopped almonds.