Poached Pears with Mascarpone Cheese and Walnuts
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Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 servings
 
An elegant finish to a fine evening. Sweetly spiced with hints of honey and wine and a creamy filling with toasted walnuts and a hint of lemon. Drizzled with hot and dark chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
Poaching Liquid
  • 2 cups sweet wine (Moscato or a fruit wine)
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup honey
  • Spices (1 cinnamon stick, 6 whole cloves, 4 whole allspice berries, 2 star anise)
  • 2 slices fresh ginger (approx. 1” x 2”, ⅛” thick.)
  • 1 Lemon for zesting (zest of ½ lemon (strips peeled from whole fruit, with no white pith) for poaching and then use grater or microplane for filling on other half.
  • 6 peeled whole Bosc or Anjou Pears, ripe but firm
Filling
  • 8 oz. Mascarpone Cheese
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
Instructions
  1. Add poaching ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low simmer.
  2. Add pears and poach for 20-25 minutes until tender.
  3. While pears are poaching, mix together softened mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla until smooth.
  4. Fold in lemon zest and walnuts. Set aside.
  5. When done poaching pears cool in the liquid for another ten minutes then remove and cut in half.
  6. Strain the spiced pear liquid and use for poaching again or as flavorings for a cocktail.
  7. Core the pear halves with a spoon making space for filling.
  8. Fill the cavity of each pear with a heaping mound of cheese mixture.
  9. Arrange on individual dessert plates and drizzle with hot caramel or fudge sauce.
Recipe by What about the food? at https://whataboutthefood.com/poached_pears_with_mascarpone_and_walnuts/