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Red Wine Poached Pear with Vanilla Mascarpone
Yield, 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 Pears, peeled, cored from the bottom and stems left attached.
Poaching liquid
1 1/2 qt Last Minute, a semi-sweet red wine from Baltimore Bend
3/4 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 oranges, juice and peeled rind.
8 whole cloves
1/2 tsp whole allspice berries
1/4 tsp whole anise seeds
pinch of salt
Mascarpone filling
8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 vanilla bean
2 tbsp powdered sugar
To make filling cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the beans with a knife and add to the mascarpone cheese this will give the cheese a wonderful vanilla flavor and tiny little flecks of vanilla bean throughout cheese.
Mix together cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar, put into a pastry bag or zip lock bag with the bottom corner cut off for filling the pears. Set mixture aside or refrigerate for later use.
Tip: Cheese is easier to squeeze from bag when it is at room temp.
Combine all poaching liquid ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil stirring occasionally to melt sugar. Reduce heat to a simmer and add pears. Simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs, until a knife pierced into the thickest part of the pear removes easily. Remove pears from poaching liquid and cool in refrigerator for 30 min. Cool poaching liquid for later use(you can help cool it down with a little ice).
When pears are ready, fill the empty cavity from the bottom with mascarpone filling. To plate use some of the poaching liquid and pool it in the bottom of a deep dessert plate, place filled pear in the center standing up and surround with pecans if you would like!
Tip: This recipe may be done 2-3 days in advance, follow recipe and cool pears and poaching liquid separately. Once both are cooled down add pears back to poaching liquid, cover and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
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