Recipes
Spice House Pears
Ripe orchard fruit pair elegantly with cinnamon, saffron, and vanilla in this aromatic riff on a classic dessert.
- Serves
serves 6
These classic poached pears make an elegant fall or winter dessert. To ensure a clear and potent poaching liquid, be sure to use fresh whole spices rather than powdered; if you're unable to source whole spices locally, look to Penzys for a comprehensive online selection. Any leftover liquid may be saved in the fridge and used to sweeten cocktails or to brush over simple cakes.
Featured in "The Best Little Spice House in America."
Ingredients
- 6 pears, peeled
- 1 lemon, peeled and juiced, reserve both
- 1 bottle dry white wine
- 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
- 4 star anise
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 1⁄4 tsp. saffron threads
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Instructions
Step 1
Place pears in lemon water to prevent discoloring.
Step 2
Combine wine, 1 cup water, sugar, star anise, vanilla bean, cinnamon, and lemon peel in a large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, add pears, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove pears and cool.
Step 3
Raise the heat and bring poaching syrup to slow boil, crumble in saffron, and reduce liquid to 3 cups.
Step 4
Cool the syrup, return the poached pears, and serve.
- Place pears in lemon water to prevent discoloring.
- Combine wine, 1 cup water, sugar, star anise, vanilla bean, cinnamon, and lemon peel in a large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, add pears, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove pears and cool.
- Raise the heat and bring poaching syrup to slow boil, crumble in saffron, and reduce liquid to 3 cups.
- Cool the syrup, return the poached pears, and serve.
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