From: Yum food & fun Healthy & Fresh magazine
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: Approx 20 minutes
Note: For richer dessert, garnish with blue cheese crumbled and toasted chopped walnuts or pecans.
2 cups dry red wine
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
1 Vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 firm pears, such as Bosc, peeled with stems left intact
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Mint leaves (optional)
Combine wine, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean or vanilla extract and lemon zest in a large, non-reactive saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
Gently add the prepared pears and cook, covered loosely, for 7-10 minutes, periodically spooning liquid over the pears until tender.
Use a large slotted spoon to carefully remove the pears to a serving plate.
Bring cooking liquid back to a simmer, add the sugar (and cinnamon if using) and reduce by about half, approximately 8 minutes, until think enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Remove the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean (if using) from the syrup.
Place a spoonful of the syrup on each dessert plate, top with pears and drizzle with syrup. Garnish with mint leaves or as desired.
