Poached Pears in Mulled Wine

Originally published on Cooking with Ruthie where I am a contributor.

Hello! I have a great dessert for you that is perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Poached Pears in Mulled Wine is a very elegant dessert, but is truly simple to make. This is one of those desserts that will impress the heck out of dinner guests or your other half and looks like you spent hours slaving over a hot stove when you haven’t. I love recipes like that!

To make this recipe you will need some pears, wine, a few spices, honey, a lemon and cream cheese. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the wine, 5 ounces of honey, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and vanilla bean paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pears. To keep the pears from popping up in the sauce, place a small plate inside the pan and over the pears. This will keep them from bobbing up. Simmer until tender about 22-24 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool. Once the pan is cool, place it in the fridge for 1 hour.

For the sauce, take a small bowl and add the cream cheese, zest of the lemon and the 5 tbsp. of honey. Mix until smooth and creamy.

To serve, place a small amount of the cream cheese mixture on a small dessert plate, top with 2 pear slices (per person) and sprinkle with the toasted almonds.

I hope you will make this elegant dessert for your favorite person this Valentine’s Day.

Enjoy!

~J

Poached Pears in Mulled Wine

 

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Ingredients

• 1 bottle of red wine. I used Cabernet Sauvignon
• 5 ounces of honey + 5 tbsp. honey
• 4 whole Cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 whole Star Anise
• 1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste
• 4 green Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and quartered
• 4 oz. cream cheese, brought to room temperature
• zest of ½ lemon
• ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the wine, 5 ounces of honey, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and vanilla bean paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pears. To keep the pears from popping up in the sauce, place a small plate inside the pan and over the pears. This will keep them from bobbing up. Simmer until tender about 22-24 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool. Once the pan is cool, place it in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. For the sauce take a small bowl and add the cream cheese, zest of the lemon and the 5 tbsp. of honey. Mix until smooth and creamy.
3. To serve, place a small amount of the cream cheese mixture on a small dessert plate, top with 2 pear slices (per person) and sprinkle with the toasted almonds.

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