Poached Pears with Cinnamon-Sugar Mascarpone

pears poached with sugar and spice and everything nice

I have to admit I've never made a poached pear in my life. I don't even know that I've had one -!? But, after researching the technique and making my own version, I know I'll be making these for dessert more often. It was so easy!

This recipe is extremely flexible in regards to quantity of the types of liquid used, the spices in the poaching liquid, and even the topping. Experiment with your own version after reading how to poach a pear or just follow my recipe below...

Recipe - Serves 4
Poached Pears
4 Bosc Pears (suggest firm fruit), peeled, halved, & cored

1 1/2C Sweet White Wine (suggest Riesling, Moscato, or Muscat)

1C Apple Juice (light okay)
1 1/2C Water
2 Thick Strips Lemon Peel
2 Cinnamon Sticks

Cinnamon-Sugar Mascarpone
3-4oz. Mascarpone Cheese
1/2tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1-2tsp. Granulated Sugar

Directions
Begin by making your poaching liquid: In a high-sided skillet, combine the wine, apple juice, water, lemon peel, and cinnamon sticks. Bring the liquid to a bubble over medium-high heat. Allow the poaching liquid to simmer for 5 minutes.

While waiting on the poaching liquid to come together, prepare the pears. Peel each pear, cut them in half (leaving the stem on one half), and cut out the core with a knife or melon baller.

After the poaching liquid has simmered for 5 minutes, turn the heat to low and add your pears cut-side down. Ensure that the pears are completely submerged in the liquid, if not, add a little more wine/juice/water. Cover the pan and allow the pears to gently poach for 25-30 minutes.

While the pears are poaching, make the mascarpone mixture. In a small bowl combine the cheese, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir to combine and taste, adjust as needed. I suggest using 1 tsp. of sugar because the pears are already sweet. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

After the pears have poached, gently move them to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature. As the pears cool, reduce the poaching liquid to a syrup. Remove the lemon peel and increase the heat to medium-high. Allow the liquid to reduce until there is only 1-1 1/2C left, approx. 30-40 minutes.

Serve the pears in a shallow bowl or rimmed plate. Place two halves on each plate, evenly distribute the syrup over the pears, and add a dollop of the cinnamon-sugar mascarpone. I'd say this dessert is everything nice. Enjoy!

Pear & Brie Sliders

brie en croute style sliders

One of my most favorite appetizers is brie en croute. My sister is notorious for bringing it to parties. The beautiful flaky crust is filled with melty tangy brie and often paired with cranberries or apples to create a sweet, buttery flavor. I though it would be fun to play off this usual suspect to create a slider worthy enough to hold the title of lunch or dinner item. You be the judge, make them tonight, here's how...

Recipe - Serves 4 (2 sliders each)
3C Yellow Onions (2 large), thinly sliced
1T Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
2 Ripe Bosc (brown) Pears, thinly sliced
1/2lb. Brie, sliced
8 KING’S HAWAIIAN Dinner Rolls, cut in half
8 Slices Deli Ham (optional)

Directions
Begin by making the caramelized onions: heat a skillet over medium, add the olive oil and thinly sliced yellow onions. Allow the onions to cook for 40-50 minutes. Stir them only occasionally. The longer the onions sit undisturbed, the more they will caramelize. After the onions are done add a 1/2tsp. salt.

While the onions caramelize preheat the broiler to high (move your rack up to the second slot from the top) and prepare your sandwich toppings. Place the rolls, cut side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Slice the pears and cheese to fit the rolls. I suggest cutting the pears and cheese no thicker than a 1/4in. I found that 4 thin slices of pear and 2 slices of brie worked best. Also, it's okay if the toppings hang over the sides a little.

Assemble and bake the sandwiches: put 1-2T of the caramelized onions on the bottom buns, top with the ham (if using), then the pears, and finally the brie. Leave the tops cut side up on the tray and broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese melts and the tops are browned. Press the tops onto the sliders and serve warm. Enjoy!

Pear, Endive, & Gorgonzola Cheese Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

an arranged salad almost too pretty to eat...almost...

My husband and I were married last fall and my parents threw us an engagement party at a local wine bar and then we had dinner at our home. My mom got us two cakes from The BonBonerie, a local Cincinnati favorite. On one of the cakes was a cute design of two pears, one in a white dress, the other in a tux, and underneath it read "The Perfect Pair".

What can I say, it was adorable. I love pears! Especially the golden brown variety that take center stage in this salad. They provide that little bit of sweetness that's needed when combined with bitter endive and salty Gorgonzola. The golden brown skin also gives them some texture, so I leave it on for this salad. Here's how to make it...

Arranged Salad - Serves 4

8 Large Endive Leaves, likely from 2 heads
1 Ripe Golden Brown Pear, diced (leave skin on)
2-3oz. Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
1/3C Slivered Almonds, toasted

Lemon Vinaigrette
Zest & Juice of half a Lemon
Pinch of Salt, Pepper, & Sugar
1/4C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

First make the dressing in a small bowl: add the lemon zest and juice, a pinch each of salt, pepper, and sugar, and then whisk in the olive oil. It's important to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for dressings since nothing is being cooked.

Next, arrange the salad on a serving platter: place the endive leaves cup-side up, fill with the diced pear, Gorgonzola cheese, and slivered toasted almonds.

Finally, drizzle the arranged salad with the dressing and serve. I have to say, I think that pears and Gorgonzola cheese are a perfect pair too!