Poached Pears

I occasionally participate in a local produce co-op. Recently, the co-op participants  received a bag of anjou pears. After lots of snacks, cheese plates, and salads, I still have several pears needing to be eaten. These, unlike other pears I've had in the past, didn't start getting mushy as they got older. They remained firm. That gave me an idea. I should poach them!

I'd never poached pears before so decided to start out with a pretty straight forward recipe. And they turned out so yummy!  It's an elegant dessert that even the kids will like!

This recipe is very very basic. And while there are many ways to poach pears, this is a good place to start.

Poached Pears with Orange and Cinnamon:   
(recipe adapted from Edna Lee's recipe for "Poached Orange Pears" from Allrecipes.com)

4 firm, ripe pears
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick, about 3 inches
whipped cream and ground cinnamon, as garnish

Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, remove the skin from the pears. Cut the pears in half and remove the core. *tip - you can use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds.*

In a medium saucepan, combine orange juice, brown sugar and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to medium low. 

Carefully add the pears to the liquid. Cover and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the pears are tender but still hold their shape well. (Turn the pears occasionally during the cooking time if the poaching liquid does not complete cover the pears.)

Remove the cinnamon stick  and discard. Remove the pears, with a slotted spoon and transfer to desire serving dishes. Top with whipped cream, a drizzle of the poaching liquid (which should now have a syrup consistency), and a dash of ground cinnamon.

That's it! So simple.

Next on my 'Recipes to Try' list: Red Wine Poached Pears with Marscapone cheese...