Romantic Poached Pears Grape (Printable Version)

Elegant pears simmered in spiced grape juice with a glossy reduction, ideal for a special occasion dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 4 ripe but firm pears, such as Bosc or Anjou, peeled with stems intact

→ Poaching Liquid

02 - 3 cups red or white grape juice
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 cinnamon stick
05 - 4 whole cloves
06 - Zest of 1 lemon, cut into strips
07 - 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Optional Garnish

08 - Fresh mint leaves for serving
09 - Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving

# Directions:

01 - Peel the pears while keeping the stems intact. Optionally, core from the bottom using a melon baller to create a clean cavity.
02 - Combine grape juice, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, lemon zest strips, and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium flame, stirring until sugar completely dissolves.
03 - Gently lower pears into the simmering liquid. Cover with parchment paper round or lid to ensure fruit remains submerged. Cook at a gentle simmer for 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally, until pears are tender when pierced but still hold their shape.
04 - Remove pears carefully with a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving dish. Increase heat to high and boil the poaching liquid for 8-10 minutes until thickened into a glossy syrup. Discard cinnamon stick, cloves, and lemon zest.
05 - Pour the warm reduced syrup generously over the pears. Serve warm or chilled, garnished with fresh mint, a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The grape juice creates the most beautiful glossy syrup without any complicated techniques
  • These pears taste even better the next day making them perfect for entertaining
  • They look stunning on a plate but require almost no active cooking time
02 -
  • Keep the simmer gentle rather than a rolling boil or the pears might cook unevenly
  • The parchment paper trick really does keep the tops from drying out while they cook
03 -
  • A splash of port or dessert wine in the poaching liquid makes these feel extra fancy for date night
  • The leftover syrup is incredible drizzled over vanilla ice cream even without the pears

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