A traditional french dessert, Red Wine Poached Pears never fail to impress! Looking as fancy as they sound and tasting even better, they’ll have you head over heels with’em !
So, If you need to whip something up in a matter of minutes, say no more! This sophisticated looking dessert is here to save you. And trust me, serving them will have your guests thinking you learned this recipe in a French culinary school.
You can find a similar recipe here: Maple Pecan Baked Apples.
Tips and tricks for perfect Red Wine Poached Pears:
-I’d recommend avoiding overripe or soft pears. The cooking process softens them, that’s why hard pears work best here.
-Wine-wise, I’d say a Merlot or a Cabernet Sauvignon work best, but a Pinot Noir would do the job as well. No need for a fancy bottle here, considering you’ll only use it for cooking the pears. I used a semi-dry Merlot for this recipe and it turned out to be an excellent choice!
-In terms of spices, you can go with whatever you think works! I used cinnamon, some cloves, some maple syrup, a few orange slices and the juice of an orange. I treat the wine mix exactly like mulled wine. So if you like the taste of the mix, you’ll definitely enjoy the result!
-I used a medium sized saucepan, high enough to have the pear halves submerged in liquid.
-To sum everything up, this fancy looking dessert is a life-saver when you have unexpected guests and need something to impress. The Red Wine Poached Pears pair perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream. You can serve them hot or cold, they’re delicious either way!
Red Wine Poached Pears
Ingredients:
- 3 pears
- 500 ml red wine Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon work best
- 3 slices orange peel included
- juice from one orange
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar
- 3-4 cloves optional
Instructions
- Peel the pears and cut them in half.
- In a medium sauce pan, place the wine and spices and bring to a boil.
- Add the pears, reduce heat and cook for aproximately 20 minutes, ocasionally flipping them.
- Leave in the pan until the pears and the liquid cool down.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
