Description
Elegant poached pears infused with warm mulled wine spices, a perfect sophisticated holiday dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 firm pears (like Bosc or Anjou)
- 3 cups dry red wine
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 star anise
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 strip orange peel
- 1 strip lemon peel
Instructions
- Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. You can core them from the bottom if you prefer, or leave them whole.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the red wine, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, orange peel, and lemon peel.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Carefully place the peeled pears into the simmering liquid. Ensure they are mostly submerged; add a little more wine or water if needed.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and let the pears poach gently for 20-30 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a knife. The cooking time will vary depending on the ripeness and type of pear.
- Once tender, carefully remove the pears from the poaching liquid using a slotted spoon.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer the remaining liquid for another 10-15 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened into a syrup.
- Serve the warm poached pears drizzled with the reduced mulled wine syrup.
Notes
- For an extra touch of elegance, you can serve the pears with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- If you don’t have red wine, a good quality grape juice can be substituted for a non-alcoholic version, though the flavor will be different.
- The spices can be adjusted to your preference. You can add a cardamom pod or a small piece of fresh ginger for more complexity.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Poaching
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pear with syrup
- Calories: Approximately 300-400 (will vary based on wine and sugar)
- Sugar: High
- Sodium: Low
- Fat: Very Low
- Saturated Fat: Very Low
- Unsaturated Fat: Very Low
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: High
- Fiber: Moderate
- Protein: Low
- Cholesterol: 0mg