I adore poached pears and always think of them around Valentine’s Day. traditionally, I poach them with spices and red wine and they are so tasty. for this dessert recipe, I added hibiscus tea to poach the pears along with red wine and spices. I chill the poached pears a bit while reducing the poaching syrup and adding fresh-whipped coconut cream as well as frozen raspberries and chocolate bar shards. these spiced tea poached pears are sure to impress your sweetheart.
the inspiration:
I started by brainstorming Valentine’s Day sweets and a pink-hued poached pear came to my mind. I then added a dairy-free whipped cream component with coconut whipped cream. this whipped cream is rich, luscious and the faint coconut flavor pairs perfectly with the pears. I wanted to add a frozen component to add texture and visual interest. I froze fresh raspberries to achieve this component then finished the dessert with roughly chopped chocolate bar shards.
poached pear ingredients:
- fresh pears: I use an anjou variety and you could also use red pears or Bartlett. the trick is to choose a ripe pear that is still firm so they don’t disintegrate in the poaching liquid. you will peel the pears, cut them in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon or a melon baller. finally, you will submerge the pears in the poaching liquid.
- poaching liquid: I use steeped hibiscus tea, red wine, honey and star anise for the poaching liquid. The tea and wine subtly flavor and dye the pears while the honey adds a floral sweetness and the star anise adds our spiced component.
- coconut cream: you can use canned coconut cream or the white portion of canned full fat coconut milk. the secret is to refrigerate your can overnight before you whip it.
- vanilla and honey: delicately flavor the coconut whipped cream.
- fresh raspberries: I like freezing fresh raspberries on a small plate to add as a garnish.
- your favorite chocolate bar: adds the finishing touch. this is the chocolate bar I chose and I love anything from this company as their chocolates are made with cleaner ingredients and without soy, chemicals or dairy.
how to serve:
to serve this dish, you will begin by adding the coconut whipped cream to your serving plate followed by two of your poached pear halves. next, you will drizzle the pears with your reserved poaching liquid. I added the star anise as a decorative touch although they are not edible. finally, I finished the dessert with a sprinkling of frozen raspberries and chocolate bar shards.
these spiced tea poached pears would be lovely served after a rich dinner like my bourbon pear pot roast or my marsala mushroom meatloaves. The contrast of textures, cold, room temperature and frozen will surely refresh the palate. enjoy!
Spiced Tea Poached Pears
Ingredients
- 3 bags hibiscus tea
- 1.5 cups filtered water boiling
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 star anise
- ½ cup honey
- 2 ripe but firm anjou or bartlett pears
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup Hu Kitchen Raspberry Cashew Butter Chocolate bar, cut into rough shards, (or your favorite chocolate bar)
Coconut Whipped Cream:
- 1 16.5 oz can coconut cream, (or the white portion of canned coconut milk), chilled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 large pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place the hibiscus tea bags into a 5 qt saucepan and pour the 1.5 cups boiling filtered water over the top. Let the bags steep for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the coconut whipped cream and freeze the raspberries.
- While tea is steeping, freeze your raspberries on a small plate and prepare your coconut whipped cream.
- In a medium bowl, add your cold canned coconut cream, vanilla, honey and salt. With a hand mixer, whip on low, then increase speed to high, until light, thick and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Let chill in refrigerator while poaching pears.
- Prepare your pears. Peel pears and carefully slice them in half vertically, leaving the stem intact on one side. With a spoon or melon baller, delicately scoop out the seeds.
- Remove the tea bags, squeezing them to release as much liquid as possible. Stir in the red wine, honey and star anise. Add the pears and add enough water to barely cover the pears. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 20–25 minutes, or until the pears are tender, flipping once halfway through cooking. Remove the pears and star anise with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate in the freezer.
- Bring the poaching liquid to a rolling boil, add a pinch of salt . Let boil until syrupy, about 20–30 minutes, over medium-high heat, stirring often.
- Remove pears and raspberries from freezer and whipped coconut cream from refrigerator.
- On two dessert plates, add your coconut whipped cream first, smoothing in a circle. top with two poached pear halves per plate.
- Drizzle poaching liquid syrup atop the pears then garnish with star anise, (for decoration), frozen raspberries and chocolate shards. Serve very cold.
