Spiced Poached Pears
Pears are in my top two fruit, so when you all picked this as your next ingredient I was very happy. It also made me realise that I have never really cooked with them. Apart from this Blackberry and Pear crumble and a few others, The Mother cooker is void of pear recipes. So let's change that shall we? I've got some lovely ideas up my sleeve and hope to include them in some sweet and savoury dishes. It's starting to get a little festive here in Mother Cooker HQ. Something that is very welcome and these spiced poached pears would be a great addition to any dessert table this Christmas.
This recipe is so amazingly simple, you just put everything in a pot and you are done. Just let the pears gently simmer and fill your kitchen with their beautiful sweet and spiced scent. I like to serve them with some cold yoghurt to balance out the sweetness. Maybe a ginger snap biscuit if you can find one. There's something about the smell of these warming spices that makes me feel relaxed and cosy. I'm the same when I make my gingerbread cookies. I just love the festive season, fairy lights and cooking delicious dinners for people I love. I hope you try this one for your loved ones, you won't regret it if you do.
Spiced Poached Pears
Serves: 4-6Prep time: 5 minsCook time: 15 minsTotal time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
- 5 star anise
- 6 cloves
- 1 litre cold water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 200g golden caster sugar
- Grating of fresh nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3-4 ripe pears, peeled and halved, seeds removed
Directions:
- Add water, sugar, spices and lemon juice/vinegar to a large pan.
- Peel and core pears, add to pan and turn on to a high heat.
- Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer and cook the pears for around 10 minutes or until soft.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.
