These Red (Taylor’s Version) Wine Poached Pears are the classiest winter dessert – and the most decadent treat as you listen to the 10-minute All Too Well for the 50th time this weekend! Bosc pears are poached in a rich mulled wine flavored with cinnamon, clove, and other fall/winter spices and topped with a wine reduction sauce. I paired them with this luxurious mascarpone whipped cream that adds a nice creamy texture to the dish and cuts into the spiced wine flavor. Absolutely perfect for any Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s celebration or as a classy treat for winter dinner parties! Now, WHERE IS TAYLOR’S SCARF?
Spiced Red Wine Poached Pears
Ingredients
- 4 ripe Bosc pears
- 6 cups dry red wine (like a Cabernet)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large strips of orange peel
- 2 large oranges, juiced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole cloves
Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium pot, combine the wine, sugar orange peel and juice, and spices. Stir together and bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- While the spiced wine is heating up, gently peel the pears, taking care not to bruise them. Try to make it as smooth as possible, to eliminate flat surfaces around the pear. If necessary, slice a small portion off the bottom of the pear to create a flat surface to allow it to stand up straight easily.
- Once the wine has simmered for 5 minutes, gently place the pears into the wine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the pears. Turn the pears every few minutes to make sure all the sides are being evenly poached. Once done, allow to cool to room temp, continuing to turn the pears over. If you just allow them to float undisturbed, you will end up with a pale spot on all the pears.
- Once cooled, refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but I recommend overnight. Check on them every few hours and turn them, making sure they've got a nice deep red color all around.
- When ready to serve, remove the pears from the wine and gently place on serving plates. Strain the reserve wine and place back into the pot, and then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and then cook the wine until it has reduced at LEAST by half; it should resemble a thin sauce that lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- While the sauce is cooking, make the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk on high until stiff peaks perform. Either spoon or pipe the whipped cream onto the serving plate next to the pears.
- Once the wine sauce is done, either spoon it over the pears or pour into a small sauce vessel for pouring at the table.
- Enjoy!
