POACHED PEARS WITH HONEY YOGURT

  • PREP TIME: 5 minutes
  • COOK TIME: 35 minutes
  • YIELDS: 6 servings

Ingredients

Yogurt sauce
  • 8 ounces vanilla yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons honey
Poaching liquid
  • 1 750 – ml bottle light red wine, such as pinot noir
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup honey
  • 3 inch strip orange peel
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 cinnamon stick
Pears
  • 6 firm but ripe pears, stems left intact

This dessert is one of my favorites to serve during the fall and holidays. You can easily make it a day or just a few hours ahead and reheat the pears and sauce just before serving.

Instructions

FIRST In a large saucepan heat poaching liquid until sugar dissolves and liquid begins to simmer. Peel pears, leaving stems intact, and core with melon baller from underneath.

NEXT Gently place pears in liquid and return to a simmer. Cook until pears are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer pears to a plate and return liquid to a boil until slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. While pears are poaching, combine yogurt and honey in a small bowl and set aside.

LAST To serve,spoon an equal amount of yogurt into 6 serving bowls, top with pear and drizzle with syrup.