Poached Pears
Wine-poached pears are stuffed with rum-raisin filling and placed in chocolate or pastry cups. They are drizzled with bright raspberry sauce and garnished with whipped cream and cherries. Guests exclaim twice — once when they see the dessert, and again when they taste it.
Ingredients
- Raisin Filling
- Raisins - 1/4 cup
- Sugar - 1 teaspoon
- Dark Rum - 2 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons
- Whole Raspberries - 2 cups
- Dry white wine - 1 cup
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Sugar to taste
- Cornstarch - 1 tablespoon, mixed with 1/4 cup cool water
- Cherry Brandy - 2 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons
- Ripe Pears - 4
- Dry white wine - 1 cup
- Sugar - 1 teaspoon
- Juice and rind from 1 lemon
- Cinnamon Stick - 1
- Water - 1/2 cup
- Chocolate or pastry cups - 4
- Whipped Cream - 1 cup
- Cherries - 4, with stems
Instructions
To prepare the sauce: Simmer the raspberries, wine, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan for 5 minutes. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes longer. Strain out the berries, pressing down on the fruit to extract all juices. Stir the brandy into the mixture.
To prepare the pears: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Slice the bottoms off the pears. Remove the cores through the bottoms. Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. Stuff the pears with the raisin filling. Combine the remaining ingredients in an ovenproof saucepan. Place the pears in the saucepan, standing them upright without losing the filling. Poach in the oven for 10 minutes, until tender. Set aside; let cool. Carefully drain off the poaching liquid and lift the pears with a slotted spoon, keeping the filling inside. The pears may be served at room temperature, or chilled.
To serve: Place a chocolate or pastry cup on each serving plate. Pour a little raspberry sauce into the cups. Stand a pear in each. Spoon the remaining raspberry sauce over the pears. Decorate with piped whipped cream and cherries.
