Poached Pears With Gingerbread Cider Syrup |
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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes |
Ready In: 55 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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Oh my! How divine! Low calorie and low fat too! Enjoy this light dessert with the flavors of the holiday seasons. Aromatic sweet spices give great taste to these stove-top cooked pears and to the spicy syrup created by Judith Jones for the McCormick 2003 Best Holiday Recipe Contest and tinkered with by me! * Note: If using fresh ginger there is no need to peel unless you want. I just rinse it well and slice it into thin'ish' slices. It is easy to core and peel pears! I have even done it while on the phone with a girlfriend! Core pears. I use a melon baller and start at the bottom and rotate the melon baller into the bottom starting at that little part where the stem comes out of the bottom. Leave the stem at the top! Clean out all the seeds. Then with a vegetable peeler or a paring knife starting at the bottom peel all the skin off leaving the stem. Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!* Ingredients:
3 cups apple cider |
2 tablespoons brandy (apple brandy) or 2 tablespoons calvados (apple brandy) |
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed |
2 cinnamon sticks |
6 whole cloves |
3 slices lemon peel |
2 tablespoons lemon juice |
1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 inch gingerroot, sliced |
4 bosc pears, cored from the bottom and peeled with stems intact |
ground cinnamon |
chopped pecans (optional) |
Directions:
1. Mix cider, brandy, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, lemon peel, lemon juice and ginger in deep 2-quart saucepan just large enough to hold the pears. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Add pears; cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until just tender when pierced.
2. Remove pears from saucepan and reserve liquid. Stand pears upright in a bowl to cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Meanwhile, bring reserved liquid to boil in same saucepan. REDUCE HEAT until it is just bubbling and cook for about 15 minutes or until syrupy. Strain and cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. To serve: Place pears in a standing position on individual dessert plates and spoon some of the syrup over each pear. Sprinkle lightly with chopped pecans and cinnamon if desired. Really looks great with a mint sprig as a garnish as well.
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