Poached Pears in Red Wine

A beautiful dessert that's just right for the season. Be sure to prepare at least 3 hours ahead so pears can absorb the flavors of the sauce.

Ingredients

2 cups dry red wine

1/2 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon aniseed

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 (2×1-inch) strips fresh lemon zest, removed with vegetable peeler

4 Bosc pears, firm but ripe

vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Honey Tips

Honey Is One of the Oldest Foods

Honey is one of the oldest foods in existence. It was found in the tomb of King Tut and was still edible since honey never spoils.

Directions

Bring first six ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove from heat.
Peel, halve and core pears. Place in saucepan with wine sauce. Return to heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low. Turn pears over after 10 minutes. Simmer another 10-15 minutes or until pears are just fork tender.
Remove pears from sauce. Strain sauce into a bowl. Discard solids. Return sauce to pan and boil for about 10 minutes until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup. Pour over pears. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
To serve, starting 1/2-inch from the top of the pear, cut each half into 4-5 slices leaving the top intact. Then fan pear halves out on a plate. Spoon some sauce over pears and garnish with ice cream or whipped cream.
Serves: 4