I’ve made this easy fruity, creamy, yummy dessert twice in the past week and in two different forms. I’ll post both because I want you to see how simple this elegant looking dessert is, as well as how FLEXIBLE this dessert can be.
The first time I prepared poached pears it was for a Healthy Desserts class at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. This particular Healthy Desserts class had the added challenge of no on-site oven, and when I think of desserts firing up the oven is in the forefront of my mind. Poached Pears were one of three desserts I prepared that day, along with a surprising low-fat and fresh tasting Almond-Raspberry Trifle made with Dark Chocolate fat-free Angel Food Cake, and Grilled Plums & Apricots with Ice Cream and Black Pepper Balsamic Glaze.
Typically poached pears recipes call for wine or port or brandy or liquors like Amaretto or Grand Marnier, but I wanted to make a virgin version for those who are leery of cooking with alcohol, or who abstain for other reasons.
I went kind of Mediterranean for the first version, filling the pears with Greek yogurt and figs, and topping the dessert with toasted almonds and pine nuts.
The second time I made this dish, we shot a video of it over at our cousins’ house. It was a Family Day Sunday and all the kids were playing. I wanted a family-friendly dish, so I sweetened up the filling by using vanilla yogurt scented with cinnamon and vanilla, and fresh strawberries.
The basic four steps of the dish are: 1) poach the pears in a lovely fragrant liquid, 2) toast some nuts, 3) combine yogurt, fruit and spices for filling, and 4) reduce some of the poaching liquid to make a syrup. That’s the short version.
Of course you could poach apples, or any other “hard” fruit. And you could use ice cream instead of yogurt. If you don’t like nuts, leave them off. This dessert is wide open for reinterpretation. If you give it a try, or make up your own, then please email me and let me know how it turns out for you.
A note about pears: some are very tender, some are very hard. Choose a variety of pear that can withstand a good 15 minutes of poaching without turning to mush. This is not the recipe for over-ripe, canned or frozen fruit. However, those pretty green Bartlett pears that are miraculously available 365 days a year will need to hang out in the poaching liquid a good 30 minutes. Those suckers are typically hard and not very juicy. The point of poaching these pears is to get them “fork tender” where you could get a spoon or fork through them in one swoop.
If you over cook your pears: Once the pears are mushy you have two options, both of which benefit from the use of a blender: pear sauce or pear cider.
To assemble the dish: Regardless of which version you try, the assembly of the final dish is simple and pretty. Place a pear in a shallow dish or bowl with the cut side facing up, spoon filling into the cavity and drizzle over the side, top with toasted nuts and drizzle lightly with syurp. Simple, pretty and elegant. Enjoy!
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Poached Pears with Greek Yogurt and Figs
For the Pears6 Pears
1 cup of honey OR agave nectar OR fruit juice concentrate
½ cup turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
3-4 cinnamon sticks
2 2” pieces of ginger, peeled and grated
juice from 1-2 lemons
1 Tbsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp ground allspice
For Toasted Nuts
¼ cup almonds
¼ cup pine nuts
For Greek Yogurt and Fig Filling
1 – 1 ½ cups dried or fresh figs diced
½ cup of water (for fresh figs) or 1 cup of water for dried figs
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp allspice
2 Tbsp turbinado or brown sugar
juice from 1 lemon
1 ½-2 cups Greek style yogurt
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Poached Pears with Strawberries and Vanilla Yogurt
For the Pears
6 Pears
1 cup of honey OR agave nectar OR fruit juice concentrate
½ cup turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
3-4 cinnamon sticks
2 2” pieces of ginger, peeled and grated
juice from 1-2 lemons
1 Tbsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp ground allspice
For Toasted Nuts
¼ cup almonds, blanched and slivered
For Yogurt and Strawberries
2 pints strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½-2 cups vanilla yogurt
