Vanilla Poached Pears

These spiced vanilla poached pears are a beautiful, elegant holiday dessert, easier to make than they look!  They are also suitable for just about any diet template.  Try your hand at them! Poached pears are juicy, flavorful, and are bound to impress your guests. Although they get overlooked, they are a great holiday dessert that’s different from your typical apple or pumpkin desserts.

What are poached pears?

Poaching a pear means that you are cooking it by letting it simmer in a flavored syrup. By doing this, you soften the fruit and give it a shiny, almost translucent appearance. The fruit will have a silky and buttery texture. The syrup penetrates the fruit and keeps it firm throughout the cooking process, and the fruit will absorb the flavors of the syrup.

What type of pears should I use?

Bosc pears will be best for poaching. These are the ones with warm, cinnamon-colored skin. When poaching them, they will become tender and hold their shape. These pears will also be crisp and mildly sweet. Using Barlett pears is not recommended because they will bruise easily, fall apart,  and get mushy during poaching.

How do I tell if the pears are ripe?

Bosc pears are typically in season starting in September and during the fall/winter months. You want to use pears that are just ripe. You don’t want to use ones that are over or under-ripe. To tell if a pear is ripe, you can use your thumb to gently apply pressure to the narrow “neck” of the pear. If it yields to pressure, it is ripe and perfect to use.

What Singing Dog Vanilla Products does this vanilla poached pear recipe use?

These Spiced Vanilla Poached Pears will use one Singing Dog Vanilla Bean and our Vanilla Coconut Palm Sugar. Suppose you’re looking to experiment and give your fruit an added vanilla taste. In that case, you could substitute the plain salt with some of our vanilla salt.

This recipe is from our good friend Wendi of Wendi’s AIP Kitchen.

Serves
4 Pears

Equipment
Parchment Paper
Large Sauce Pan
sharp paring knife or vegetable corer
Vegetable Peeler
Slotted Spoon
Sieve

Prep time
20m

Cook Time
40m

Gluten-Free, Corn-Free, No Soy, Dairy-Free, Paleo, AIP Diet-Friendly

Ingredients
3 Cups Unsweetened, unfiltered apple juice
1 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Water
1/4 Cup Honey
1 Cinnamon Stick, broken in half
6 Whole Cloves
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Pinch Salt
4 Bosc Pears
1 Tablespoon Arrowroot Flour
Singing Dog Vanilla’s Organic Coconut Palm Sugar (for garnish))
1 vanilla bean
Instructions
Set a large saucepan on a piece of parchment paper. Using the bottom of the pan as a pattern, draw a circle the size of the pan. Cut out the circle. Fold the circle in half, then in half again, so that you have kind of a triangle. Cut off the tip of the triangle ½” down. Unfold, and set aside. This will be your “lid” with a vent.

Place apple juice, 1 cup water, honey, vanilla bean, cinnamon, cloves, lemon juice, and salt in the saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until the honey has dissolved and the liquid is barely simmering.

Slice a thin slice off the bottom of each pear so they will stand when served. Using a sharp paring knife or vegetable corer, cut out the core from the bottom of each pear. Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler, leaving the stems on. Carefully slide the pears into the simmering liquid on their sides. Submerge them, and lay the parchment paper lid on top, ensuring the pears are covered by either liquid or parchment. Simmer (don’t boil) the pears for 20 minutes, or until a paring knife inserted gets no resistance.

Carefully remove the pears with a slotted spoon. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve, and return to the pan. Turn the heat under the saucepan to high, and cook for 12 minutes: place arrowroot starch and 2 tablespoons of water in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously to make a slurry. Add to the juice mixture, and cook on high until thickened a bit.

To serve, stand pears on individual serving plates. Spoon spiced vanilla syrup on each pear from the top. Garnish with a sprinkle of vanilla coconut sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition: Gluten-Free, Corn-Free, No Soy, Dairy-Free, Paleo, AIP Diet-Friendly