I love to incorporate pears into my recipes during the fall and winter seasons. Not only are they juicy and delicious, but they pair well with both sweet and savory flavors. If you’re looking for more recipes that feature this tasty fruit, you’ll love my Roasted Pear Salad with Goat Cheese.
Ingredients
This treat is truly the epitome of the Christmas season, with flavor notes of cranberry, cinnamon, orange, and rosemary. If you’ve begun your holiday cooking and baking, chances are you already have many of these ingredients on hand. For this recipe, you’ll need Bosc pears, fresh cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, a cinnamon stick, fresh rosemary, honey, mascarpone cheese, hazelnuts, and water.
How to Make This Recipe?
With a simple ingredient list and only 10 minutes of hands-on prep time, this cranberry-poached pears dessert comes together with ease. Their simple elegance, especially when garnished with hazelnuts and fresh rosemary, is truly stunning and worthy of a 5-star restaurant. Here’s how to make them:
Pears: I used Bosc pears in this recipe for their delicate, sweet flavor, but you can also use Anjou pears, or another pear variety, instead. Just keep in mind that Anjou pears cook much faster than Bosc pears, so you’ll need to shorten the cooking time. If you use another variety of pear, keep an eye on them as they cook and adjust the time accordingly. Mascarpone: While I love the creaminess of mascarpone, you can also use ricotta cheese.Cranberries: I recommend using fresh cranberries if you can find them, as they cook pretty quickly. You can also use frozen cranberries if you’re in a pinch, but keep in mind that they take longer to come to a boil. If you find yourself with some leftover cranberries after making this recipe, why not make a delicious Cranberry Sauce with Maple Syrup? Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds the perfect touch of spice that beautifully complements the sweetness of this recipe. I love to use cinnamon sticks because of their potent flavor, but you can also use ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead. Honey: A drizzle of honey (or more, if you have a sweet tooth) really takes these pears to the next level while allowing you to customize the sweetness of the recipe. If you don’t have any honey on hand, you can use agave or maple syrup instead. Hazelnuts: Hazelnut is a classic Christmas flavor that pairs so well with this recipe. If you don’t like hazelnuts or if you have a hazelnut allergy, you can substitute pecans or walnuts to achieve a similar taste.
How to Make Ahead & Store Leftovers?
If your holiday schedule is looking a bit hectic, you’ll be relieved to know that you can easily make this poached pear recipe ahead of time. That way, all you have to do is assemble the pears when you’re ready to serve. You can also store your leftovers to enjoy the next day. Here are some tips:
Make ahead: To prepare this recipe ahead of time, poach the pears a day in advance (following the instructions above), let them come to room temperature, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Make sure to save some of that yummy liquid for drizzling! When you’re ready to serve, assemble the pears and garnish them to your liking. Store: To store leftovers, let each poached pear with mascarpone reach room temperature and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two.
If You Liked This Recipe, You Might Also Like:
Cranberry Apple CakeMascarpone Filled DatesNo Flour Nut and Seed Bread Vegan Cranberry Almond Tart
If you try this Poached Pear Dessert recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It is a great help to others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories. This recipe was adapted (with several changes) from Eva Longoria’s cookbook Eva’s Kitchen .
