Recipe: Poached Pears with Honeyed Mascarpone

After a huge Thanksgiving Day feast, forget the pies — this is my preferred finish. The best thing about this dessert is it can be made eight to 24 hours in advance. In fact, it insists upon that time to soak up the winey marinade and give the pear that stunning rich garnet color.

Yield: 4 pears

Active Time: 15 minutes

Simmering and Poaching Time: 8-24 hours

Ingredients

• 2 firm-ripe Bosc pears
• 2 cups fruity red wine
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean
• 3 whole cloves
• Parchment paper to cover pan
• 4 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons honey

Directions

1. Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler or paring knife and cut them in half. Use a melon baller or spoon to dig out the core. Use a small paring knife to remove the fibrous part of the core that extends to the stem, leaving the stem intact.

2. Combine the wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and cloves in a heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a low simmer while stirring to dissolve sugar.

3. Add the pears to the saucepan. Cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle that will fit in the saucepan. Place the parchment round directly on the surface of the liquid and pears. This will keep the pears submerged in the liquid.

4. Over low heat, poach the pears for 20 to 30 minutes or until a knife is easily inserted into a pear. Remove the pears from the heat and allow them to cool to room temperature in their liquid. Chill until cold, turning occasionally, at least 8 hours and up to 24.

5. Before serving, combine mascarpone and honey. Spoon into pears and serve.

This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on Nov. 17, 2010.